Payman suspended indefinitely for continued disregard

Senator Fatima Payman has now been suspended indefinitely from the Australian Labor Party caucus after being summoned by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to a meeting at the Lodge in Canberra. The Prime Minister has taken a harder line on Senator Payman as her previous week-long suspension has now been replaced by an indefinite suspension. This comes after the Labor Senator said this morning she would once again switch sides and support a Palestinian state.

The rebellious senator was summoned to the box in Canberra after declaring on ABC’s Insider program her intention to switch sides again if another application for recognition of a Palestinian state was made.

Senator Payman said she and the Prime Minister had a “tough but fair” conversation about her decision to switch sides and support the Greens motion, which led Mr Albanese to exclude her from the final caucus meeting of this parliamentary session.

Labour MPs are prohibited from voting against the party’s position, and breaches of the rules have in the past led to members being punished much more harshly for party transgressions, including expulsion from the party.

However, the senator on Sunday maintained her belief that she was following the “principles of the party” by continuing to diverge from her colleagues on the issue, repeating previous comments in which she claimed she had made “everyone proud.”

The opposition immediately exploited Senator Payman’s act of defiance, arguing that it was a “challenge” to Albanese’s leadership.

These allegations were flatly denied by Labour MPs last week, but the senator received a stern warning from Foreign Minister Penny Wong against further violations.

“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.

“I would like to say that we expect the Senator to abide by the decisions of the caucus.”

Senator Wong highlighted her own decision to vote against same-sex marriage legislation despite her openly gay lifestyle, adding that her colleague must “observe the solidarity that all Labor members bring to her position”.

This appeal fell on deaf ears. Senator Payman claimed on Sunday that an “overwhelming majority” of her colleagues had offered her support following her actions and suspension.

“I know that several colleagues were angry with me and frustrated, I was given the cold shoulder,” she told ABC.

“But there was an overwhelming majority who stood up in solidarity and applied for their welfare.”

The rebellious senator also stressed that she had no plans to leave the party, but admitted that her decision to switch parties had put her membership at risk.

Senator Payman has not yet commented publicly on her suspension, but an Albanian government spokesman told Sky News Australia that the prime minister could reverse the decision if she “decides to respect the caucus meeting”.

“Through her own actions and statements, Senator Payman is guilty of the privilege that comes with attending the Labor Party caucus meeting in the federal parliament,” the spokesman said.

“If Senator Payman decides that she will respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues, she may return, but until then Senator Payman is suspended from the right to attend Labor caucus meetings and proceedings in the Federal Parliament.”