- Fatima Payman permanently banned from caucus
- Anthony Albanese announced a drastic move on Sunday
Rogue Labor Senator Fatima Payman has been suspended indefinitely from caucus after saying she would speak again in support of Palestine, defying warnings from the prime minister and other senior government leaders.
“Through her own actions and statements, Senator Payman has placed herself outside the privilege that comes with participating in the Federal Parliamentary Group of the Workers’ Party,” an Albanian government spokeswoman said.
“If Senator Payman decides that she will respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues, she can return, but until then, Senator Payman has been suspended from participating in federal parliamentary Labor Party caucus meetings and processes.”
Senator Payman was initially suspended from the caucus for one meeting after breaking caucus rules last week by voting in support of a Greens motion calling for statehood for Palestine.
“Will you abide by the decisions of the Caucus going forward?” she was asked by Insiders host David Speers.
“If the recognition of the state of Palestine were to be tabled tomorrow, I would speak,” she said.
The 29-year-old Muslim senator from Western Australia said she respects Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who she said had “a stern but fair conversation” with her after she left the plenary.
Mr Albanese suspended her for the remainder of the term.
Rogue Labor Senator Fatima Payman (left) has been indefinitely suspended from caucus after saying she would speak again in support of Palestine, defying warnings from the Prime Minister and other senior government leaders
“That is the privilege and the decision that the Prime Minister came to. “When I made the decision to cross in the Senate, I did so with the understanding that it could lead to deportation and cost me my Labor membership,” she said in the pre-recorded interview.
Senator Payman said she wanted to remain a member of the Labor Party but realised she had angered some colleagues with her actions.
“I understand that there have been several colleagues who have been angry and frustrated with me. I’ve been given the cold shoulder,” she said.
“But there has been an overwhelming majority who have stood up in solidarity and done their welfare checks.
“And I know there are members of the Caucus who have been advocating for this cause longer than I have been on this earth.”
Senator Payman said she took this action because Palestinians were suffering in the war between Hamas and Israel.
“These Palestinians don’t have 10 years and that’s why I will use what I can as a backstabbing senator to continue advocating for a just and lasting solution,” she said.
“And I think that’s what honest Australians want.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Insiders that Senator Payman was elected as a member of the Labor Party and must abide by the rules.
“For all of us who are members of this team, solidarity within the caucus – what it means to be a member of the team – is fundamental,” said Mr Marles.
Mr Albanese suspended her from the group meetings for the remainder of the two-week term.
“It is at the heart of the obligations we have as members of the Labor Party and the great privilege we have to serve 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.
An attempt was made to amend the Greens’ motion to include that recognition should take place ‘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 hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, and while every step I took across the Senate floor felt like a mile, I know I was not alone,” she said.
