- Fátima Payman excluded from parliamentary assemblies for an indefinite period
- Anthony Albanese revealed a drastic move on Sunday
Labor senator Fatima Payman has been suspended indefinitely from the caucus after she said she would cross the floor again to support Palestine, defying warnings from the Prime Minister and other senior government leaders.
“By her own actions and statements, Senator Payman has placed herself outside the privilege that comes with participating in the Labor Party’s federal parliamentary group,” a spokeswoman for Albanese’s government said.
“If Senator Payman decides she will respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues, she can return, but until then Senator Payman’s right to participate in federal Labor parliamentary caucus meetings and proceedings is suspended.”
Senator Payman had initially been suspended from caucus for one meeting after she broke caucus rules last week to vote in favor of a Greens motion calling for the creation of a state for Palestine.
‘Will you respect the decisions of the Caucus in the future?’ Insiders host David Speers asked him.
“If recognition of the State of Palestine were to be presented tomorrow, I would cross the floor,” he said.
The 29-year-old Muslim senator from Western Australia said she respected Premier Anthony Albanese, who had what she said was “a stern but fair conversation” with her after she crossed the floor.
Mr. Albanese suspended her from parliamentary group meetings for the rest of the fortnight of sessions.
Labor senator Fatima Payman (left) has been suspended indefinitely from the caucus after she said she would cross the floor again to support Palestine, defying warnings from the Prime Minister and other senior government leaders.
“That is the prerogative and the decision that the Prime Minister has made. When I made the decision in the Senate to cross the border, I did so knowing that it could lead to expulsion and losing my membership of the Labour Party,” he said in the pre-recorded interview.
Senator Payman said she wanted to remain in the Labor Party but realised she had upset some colleagues with her actions.
‘I understand that there have been several colleagues who have felt upset and frustrated with me. I’ve gotten the cold shoulder,’ he said.
‘But there has been an overwhelming majority who have shown solidarity by carrying out their welfare checks.
“And I know there are members of the Caucus who have been advocating on this issue longer than I’ve been on this Earth.”
Senator Payman said she was taking this action because Palestinians were suffering in the war between Hamas and Israel.
“These Palestinians are not 10 years old, and that’s why I will use everything in my power as a backbencher to continue to advocate for a just and lasting solution,” she said.
“And I think that’s what fair Australians want.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Insiders that Senator Payman was elected to the Labor Party and needed to follow the rules.
“For all of us who are members of this team, the solidarity of the Caucus – what it means to be a member of the team – is of fundamental importance to each of us,” Mr. Marles said.
Mr. Albanese suspended her from caucus meetings for the remainder of the fortnightly session.
“It’s at the core of the obligations we have in terms of being members of the Labor Party and having the great privilege we have of serving the Australian people in parliament.”
The Albanian government supports the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a peace process towards a two-state solution.
He had sought to amend the Greens’ motion to include that recognition should occur “as part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and a just and lasting peace.”
Senator Payman told reporters after crossing the floor that she voted in favour of the Greens’ motion because “we cannot believe in two-state solutions and only recognise one”.
“It was the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make, and although every step I took in the Senate felt like a mile, I know I didn’t walk alone,” she said.
