Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indefinitely suspended Fatima Payman from the Labor caucus, after the rebel Senator revealed she would not hesitate to cross the floor again.
Senator Fatima Payman has now been indefinitely suspended from the Australian Labor Party Caucus after being summoned to a meeting at The Lodge in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The PM has taken a harder line with Senator Payman as her previous one-week suspension has now been replaced with an indefinite suspension.
This comes after the Labor Senator said this morning that she would cross the floor again in support of a Palestinian statehood
The rebel Senator was summoned to The Lodge in Canberra after an interview on the ABC’s Insiders program in which she declared her intention to cross the floor again if another motion was put forward to recognise a Palestinian state.
Senator Payman revealed she and the Prime Minister had held a “stern but fair” conversation over her decision to cross the floor in support of the Greens’ motion, which led Mr Albanese to suspend her from the one remaining caucus meeting during this Parliamentary session.
Labor MPs are prohibited from voting against the Party’s position and breaches rules have historically seen members receive much harsher punishments for crossing the floor, including expulsion.
However, the Senator on Sunday maintained her belief she was following the “principles of the party” by continuing to break ranks with her colleagues over the issue, echoing earlier remarks in which she claimed to have made “everyone proud.”
Fatima Payman has been indefinitely suspended from the Labor Party caucus following a Sunday afternoon meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman
The opposition had immediately seized on Senator Payman’s act of defiance, arguing it was a “challenge” to Mr Albanese’s leadership.
Those claims were roundly dismissed by Labor MPs throughout last week, but the Senator was still issued a stern warning by Foreign Minister Penny Wong over any further breaches.
“I can understand why colleagues are upset, I can understand how they feel because there is trust between colleagues as well,” Senator Wong told Sky News Australia on Thursday.
“What I would say is that our expectation is that the Senator abide by the decisions of the caucus.”
Senator Payman revealed she and the Prime Minister had held a “stern but fair” conversation over her decision to cross the floor in support of the Greens’ motion, which led Mr Albanese to suspend her from the one remaining caucus meeting during this Parliamentary session. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman
Highlighting her own decision to vote against same-sex marriage legislation despite being openly gay, Senator Wong added her colleague needed to “observe the solidarity that all Labor people bring to their position.”
That call fell on deaf ears, with Senator Payman on Sunday claiming an “overwhelming majority” of her colleagues had reached out to offer support following her actions and initial suspension.
“I understand there’s been various colleagues who have been upset with me and frustrated, I’ve received the cold shoulder,” she told the ABC.
“But there has been an overwhelming majority who have stood up in solidarity, doing their welfare checks.”
Despite warnings from the prime minister, Labor Senator Fatima Payman says she would cross the floor again in support of Palestinian statehood.
Senator Payman broke caucus rules resulting in suspension from a fortnight of sittings.
The government is threatening tougher actions should she break the rules again.
The senator claims she does not wish to leave the Labor party and she supports a two-state solution.
The rebel Senator also insisted she had no plans to quit the party, although she acknowledged her decision to cross the floor had put her membership at risk.
While Senator Payman has not publicly commented on her new suspension, an Albanese government spokesperson told Sky News Australia the Prime Minister could reverse the decision if she “decides she will respect the caucus.”
“By her own actions and statements, Senator Payman has placed herself outside the privilege that comes with participating in the federal parliamentary Labor Party caucus,” the spokesperson said.
“If Senator Payman decides she will respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues she can return, but until then Senator Payman is suspended from the right to participate in federal parliamentary Labor Party caucus meetings and processes.”