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July 4, 2024
Labor Senator Fatima Payman is expected to quit the party on Thursday after weeks of controversy surrounding her views and actions in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Australian Financial Review has reported.
Ms Payman broke more than a hundred years of protocol by defying Labor’s caucus and crossing the floor of the Senate to vote with the Greens in favour of Palestinian statehood.
The fallout from Ms Payman’s suspension from the Labor Party on Sunday after not even one full term in office has led to speculation the 29-year-old could start a sectarian Muslim movement in parliament.
Assistant Energy Minister Jenny McAllister avoided directly commenting on the issue in a Thursday interview with Sky News Australia, but acknowledged it was “obviously disappointing”.
“I’ve seen those reports in the media this morning. This is really, of course, a matter for Senator Payman,” Ms McAllister said.
There have been reports up to six Labor MPs could lose their seat to a “Teals-style Muslim political group” in the next federal election.
Although those reports have not been confirmed, the threat of religious sectarianism has been broadly condemned by politicians on Thursday.
Ms McAllister responded to the speculation: “My view is that you make better decisions with a diverse group of people.”
Shadow defence minister James Paterson placed the blame for such a possibility on the shoulders of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“If Fatima Payman follows through, quits the Labor party and starts a new political movement today, then that is on Anthony Albanese and his mismanagement of this issue,” Mr Paterson said.
Mr Paterson said religious sectarianism was a “credible” threat as he believed parts of the community were “very detached from mainstream politics”.
“I think it would be a retrograde step if we were to start having religiously based parties in this country,” Mr Paterson said.
“If there are political parties for the Muslim community, then why wouldn’t there also be political parties for Hindus or Jews or Catholics or Anglicans.”
“We look at other countries around the world that have parties based on ethnicity or race or religion and we worry about them… their social cohesion and their sense of unity.”
The shadow defence minister accused the Greens of “weaponising a foreign conflict” to divide the community.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also blamed the Greens for sowing disorder by pushing the doomed Palestinian statehood proposal.
“This stunt from the Greens was designed to put Fatima Payman in a difficult position... It wasn’t designed to assist Palestinians in Gaza,” Mr Albanese said on Monday.
Ms Payman was indefinitely suspended from the Labor Party caucus by the Prime Minister on Sunday for having repeatedly defied Labor over the Gaza conflict.
Ms Payman’s used the anti-Israel phrase “from the river to the sea,” after Labor condemned it, then crossed the senate floor before saying she’d do it again after she was disciplined for the act.
Supporters of the rebel Senator have reportedly plotted her future beyond Labor for “weeks”, despite Ms Payman claiming on Sunday she did not intend to leave the party.
Ms Payman’s supporters reportedly reached out to Mr Druery prior to the Western Australia Senator crossing the floor last week.
The strategist said he was approached by Muslim groups to discuss the election and was having “informal conversations” with Ms Payman.
