The Greens won’t try to bring on another motion in the Senate today on the issue of recognising Palestine.
But, they’re keeping their options open to try for a vote on the issue on Wednesday and Thursday – which could result in ‘exiled’ Labor Senator Fatima Payman crossing the floor again.
The crossbench party is also discussing trying to force this issue in the House of Representatives after the winter break – and will take musings from other MPs about the potential wording of such a motion, to try to convince them to join in calling on the government to recognise a Palestinian state.
Greens leader Adam Bandt believes there are people in Parliament who aren’t pleased with how the matter is being handled, and want to see recognition.
During the winter break, which starts next week and runs through to early August, stand by for a knock on the door from a Greens MP or volunteer if you live in Melbourne, Perth, suburban Brisbane, or the Tweed and Byron shires in northern NSW.
The Greens are going to be targeting the electorates of Labor MPs, where the party believes community sentiment is pro-Palestinian.
Those seats are currently held by Peter Khalil (Wills, VIC), Ged Kearney (Cooper, VIC), Pat Gorman (Perth, WA), Graham Perrett (Moreton, QLD) and Justine Elliot (Richmond, NSW).