“My family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people. Witnessing our government’s indifference to the greatest injustice of our time makes me question the direction the party is taking.”
Payman’s defiance of calls to respect party loyalty has enraged senior cabinet ministers and dominated debate in Canberra for two weeks, overshadowing the government’s stage 3 tax cut rollout and providing the Greens and Coalition with opportunities to goad the government on the complex Gaza debate.
Fatima Payman has quit Labor and will sit as an independent in the Senate.Credit: James Brickwood
A former union official and left faction member who led the WA Young Labor branch, Payman claimed she was intimidated by colleagues who refused to sit next to her and pressured her to say which way she would vote on a Greens motion that sparked the dramatic affair.
Many Labor MPs argue her claims of intimidation are fanciful and designed to engender public support. However, there were several olive branches extended to Payman, who was hugged by senior minister Tanya Plibersek in parliament on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and ministers including Bill Shorten have said she would be welcome back if she fell into line.
A key dispute has been Payman’s claim that she was given an ultimatum about staying in the party by the prime minister at a meeting on Sunday. Her recollection was confirmed by a report in this masthead on Tuesday, the facts of which have been denied by Albanese.
Asked if the prime minister was lying about what occurred in the meeting, she said: “That’s for the prime minister to answer.”
Senator Fatima Payman takes questions from the media after announcing she has quit the Labor Party.Credit: James Brickwood
She described the conversation with Albanese as “stern but fair” and said he did not intimidate her.
Taking a question from the opposition about whether he intimidated Payman, the prime minister said he did not.
“The answer is no Mr Speaker. A short while ago I received a message from Senator Payman addressed to me,” he said.
“[It said]: ‘Dear prime minister, thank you for your leadership, it has been an honour and a privilege to serve in the Australian Labor Party’ and it went on to indicate her resignation.”
At the same time, Payman was already sitting on the crossbench in the Senate.
Her policy dispute with Labor is a matter of degrees. Payman and the Greens have called for immediate recognition of the Palestinian state, while Labor supports recognition as part of a broader peace negotiation.
Payman’s colleagues have questioned her commitment to the Palestinian cause by pointing out that she never raised issues with the party’s position on the war during caucus meeting. Payman countered by saying she had had private conversations with Albanese and senior ministers, including Senate leader Penny Wong, about the war.
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The 29-year-old denied she was acting undemocratically by leaving the party which voters had given the Senate position. She claimed voters had “entrusted” her with their voice and argued she had the backing of rank-and-file Labor members and unions – a claim denied by her colleagues.
Asked if she would focus on policy issues related to the Muslim faith, she said: “I don’t know how to respond to that question without feeling offended or insulted that just because I’m a visibly Muslim woman that I only care about Muslim issues.”
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