First-term Labor senator Fatima Payman will not attend caucus for the remainder of the fortnight’s parliamentary session, after she crossed the floor to vote in favor of a Greens motion recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Premier Anthony Albanese said in question time he had discussed the issue with the WA senator on Wednesday.
‘I met with Senator Payman today. “He will not be attending the Labor caucus for the remainder of this session,” he said.
It is unclear whether he had suspended her from the party hall or whether she had agreed not to attend.
On Tuesday night, the 29-year-old defied her colleagues and became the first Labor member to cross the floor in 18 years.
While his move risked being expelled or suspended from the ALP, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said early on Wednesday that none of these sanctions would apply to Senator Payman.
“It’s a difficult issue. Fatima has made it clear that she continues to stand by her Labor values, that she wants to represent the people of WA in the Senate as a Labor senator, as she was elected at the last election… There will be no expulsions or any activity of that nature,” she told the ABC on Wednesday morning.
Premier Anthony Albanese (pictured) said during Question Time that he had discussed the issue with WA Senator Fatima Payman on Wednesday.
Senator Payman (pictured) will not attend caucus for the remainder of the parliamentary session for a fortnight.
He said the government’s priority was maintaining social cohesion amid the “complexity and tragedy in the Middle East” and that Labor would not “go around expelling people… for having particular opinions here”.
“That would not be living what we intend to do in trying to promote social cohesion in this country,” he said.
Following the controversial vote, the Prime Minister’s office was also quick to quell speculation, citing that there were no formal sanctions for members who voted against the party.
“There is no mandatory sanction in these circumstances and previous caucus members have crossed the floor without facing expulsion,” a government spokesman said.
“As reflected in our amendment, the government supports the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a peace process towards a two-state solution.”
On Tuesday night, Fatima Payman (pictured right with Senator David Pocock) defied her colleagues and became the first Labor member to cross the floor in 18 years.
Strict rules governing how Labor backbenchers vote prevent MPs and senators from crossing the floor except in exceptional circumstances for reasons of conscience.
It will now be up to the Labor bloc to determine what sanctions will be imposed on Senator Payman and if they will be imposed; However, the decision to expel or suspend a member is ultimately a decision of the party’s national executive.
Appearing on Sunrise on Wednesday morning, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said Senator Payman had “expressed a view” and that the government was still focused on trying to achieve a ceasefire and a two-state solution in the Middle East.
“We are not going to resolve peace in the Middle East through Green motions in the Senate,” he said.
“Our government is working through the proper channels to get to where we all want to be here, which is peace and stopping innocent people dying in a conflict in which they have no particular role.”
Asked what would happen to Senator Payman, Ms O’Neil said the party would “go through a process”.
It will now be up to the Labor group to determine what sanctions will be imposed on Senator Payman (pictured) and whether they will be imposed; However, the decision to expel or suspend a member is ultimately a decision that rests with the party’s national executive.
“Right now there are a lot of people watching the news every night where innocent children are dying in a conflict in which they play no particular role for no good reason, and I think it would be impossible not to be moved by that,” he said.
“I think Fatima Payman has a very strong opinion on these issues, for very understandable reasons, and she has expressed her opinion in the Senate.”
Liberal Party deputy leader Sussan Ley said the Prime Minister’s apparent decision not to expel paved the way for other members of the Labor Group to vote against Labour’s policy.
‘Anthony Albanese has just shown very weak leadership since the October 7 attacks. Has the Labor Party unilaterally changed its once bipartisan position on a two-state solution? he told Sky News on Wednesday.
“And what the hell is going on here on the Senate floor? We have Labor senators on both sides of the debate.
Speaking after the vote, Senator Payman said she still held the “core values of the Labor Party” and looked forward to continuing to serve the party.
‘It’s effectively a green light for Labor senators that if they have a strong opinion on an issue, they can walk across the room.
“So the caucus solidarity shield has disappeared, and no one has crossed the floor in the Labor Party since 1986. It is clearly not Labor Party policy.”
Speaking after the vote, Senator Payman said she still held the “core values of the Labor Party” and looked forward to continuing to serve the party.
“It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, and although every step I took across the Senate seemed like a mile, I know I did not walk alone,” she told reporters in Canberra.
Greens leader Adam Bandt praised Senator Payman and called on other Labor MPs and senators to do the same.
“It is shameful that Liberals and Labor voted together to deny recognition of Palestine,” Bandt told ABC News Breakfast.
‘Senator Payman bravely and courageously did the right thing. I believe Senator Payman has set the bar for other Labor MPs.
“If a young senator in his first term can walk across the room to do the right thing, then other Labor MPs will run out of excuses.”
However, the move was criticized by Executive Council of Australian Jews co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin, who demanded she be held accountable for her actions.
“The fact that Senator Payman could no longer accept the government’s position of supporting a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution is astonishing,” he said.
