Anthony Albanese doubles down on decision to suspend WA Senator Fatima Payman
The Prime Minister said the decision of Western Australian senator Fatima Payman to appear on ABC’s Insiders and vow to go against Labor’s position on Palestinian statehood was deliberately disruptive.
On Sunday, the 29-year-old first term senator had her one-week suspension upgraded to an indefinite ban following her comments on the current affairs show, where she said she would continue to cross the floor.
Labor senator Fatima Payman will be suspended indefinitely from attending federal Labor caucus meetings. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
Speaking for the first time since a government spokeswoman confirmed the extended suspension, Anthony Albanese said Senator Payman’s comments made her continued participation in Labor caucus meetings untenable.
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He said her actions were designed to “undermine what is the collective position that the Labor Party has determined,” and “disrupted” the launch of Labor’s cost-of-living policies.
“No individual is bigger than the team and Fatima Payman is welcome to return to participating in the team if she accepts she’s a member of it.”
Mr Albanese said Senator Payman would be welcome to return to caucus if she changed her position. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
He also lashed the original motion by the Greens as a “stunt” to put “Senator Payman in a difficult position”.
While Coalition members are able to cross the floor and vote in opposition to the party line, Mr Albanese said ALP rules would not change.
“What we have is a process where people participate, people respect each other and people don’t engage in indulgence, such as the decision last week,” he said.
“Pretending the Senate recognises states is quite frankly untenable.”