Rebel Labor senator Fatima Payman has lobbed a grenade at Anthony Albanese after she was indefinitely suspended from the ALP party room and dragged to the Lodge for a meeting with the PM.
On a day that Labor hoped would be about celebrating their cost-of-living measures, the 29-year-old first term Senator issued a thundering statement on Monday afternoon complaining she had been ‘exiled’ by the party.
She then revealed that she will abstain from voting on any matters except for ‘matters of conscience’.
It could be a significant blow to the Prime Minister as it places Labor’s sheep live export bill at risk in the Senate.
‘I have been exiled,’ she claimed in a signed statement.
‘I have lost all contact with my caucus colleagues. I have been removed from caucus meetings, committees, internal group chats and whips bulletins.
‘These actions lead me to believe that some members are attempting to intimidate me into resigning from the Senate.’
Ms Payman was on Sunday suspended indefinitely from her party’s caucus meetings after she revealed she’d have no qualms crossing the floor again on motions involving Palestine.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took stronger action on Ms Payman in an effort to refocus the attention on his tax cuts, which come into effect from today.
The 29-year-old first-term Senator announced on Monday afternoon she will abstain from voting on any matters except for a potential ‘matter of conscience’
In spite of his best efforts, Ms Payman’s future has instead dominated the first day of the final sitting week before the winter break.
Question Time in both the House of Representatives and the Senate involved jeers, heckles and statements about Labor’s response to Ms Payman’s decision to side with the Greens last week when they introduced a motion in favour of a Palestinian state.
Additionally, ministers doing the media rounds on Monday morning to spruik the Stage 3 tax cuts and $300 energy bill rebate were inundated with questions about Ms Payman’s future.
Ms Payman gave her strongest hint yet that she’s considering defecting from Labor, despite maintaining for the past week that she upholds Labor values and wants to stay in the party.
‘I will use this time to reflect on my future and the best way to represent the people of Western Australia,’ she said.
‘I will abstain from voting on Senate matters for the remainder of the week, unless a matter of conscience arises where I’ll uphold the true values and principles of the Labor party.’
This decision, particularly if it impacts Labor’s sheep exportation bill, will spurr on Ms Payman’s critics within the party who have been calling for her expulsion.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud has petitioned both Ms Payman and independent Senator Lidia Thorpe for their votes on that matter later on Monday.
Senator Payman voted with the Greens, David Pocock and Lidia Thorpe last week in recognising the state of P
The PM had already been receiving internal pressure from some Labor figures to take stronger action against Ms Payman for crossing the floor.
Mr Albanese made it clear on Monday morning that she was receiving further punishment because she is distracting from the tax cuts and cost of living measures the government has introduced, rather than her stance on Israel.
‘It’s not because of her support for a policy position that she’s advocated, it’s because of the question that you’ve just asked me. Today is July 1. It’s a day where we want to talk about tax cuts. We want to talk about our economic support for providing that cost of living relief without putting pressure on inflation,’ Mr Albanese told ABC RN.
‘And instead, you have seamlessly segued into the actions of an individual which is designed to undermine what is the collective position that the Labor Party has determined.
‘No individual is bigger than the team. And Fatima Payman is welcome to return to participating in the team if she accepts she’s a member of it.’
In the Senate, Ms Payman spent much of Question Time with her head in her laptop, even as Greens Mehreen Faruqi sprung to her defence, describing Labor’s sanctions as ‘shameful’.
Ms Faruqi asked if Labor would sanction Israel and the Netanyahu government, given it had imposed sanctions on Ms Payman.
‘I understand why you want to run a political line here in this chamber,’ Senator Penny Wong said.
From across the floor, Coalition senators heckled Labor about the division within the party, shouting that they ‘want to hear from Senator Payman’.
In spite of the heat she is copping within Parliament, Ms Payman’s actions have been celebrated by voters and constituents.
Her social media pages have been flooded with well wishes and warm messages of support, urging her not to back down to the party and to continue to stand up for her values.
One supporter said: ‘I don’t think any citizen wants our politicians blindly voting for something because the party says so.
‘You are definitely someone to look up to – doing something that is right even though it is hard. The party may have exiled you but we embrace you for your courage and humanity.’
Another said: ‘As a Labor party member I support your position. The elected members of parliament should not be making decisions contrary to the party platform. They should be listening to rank and file members instead.’
And a third said: ‘As a West Australian, I applaud you Senator.’
Ms Payman repeatedly said she was voting in line with Labor’s values, as well as based on the message she has received from constituents in Western Australia and Labor’s rank and file members.