Senator Fatima Payman has become the Albanese government’s first defection as she resigned from the party on the last day of parliament before the winter break, accusing the prime minister of pressuring her onto the crossbench where she will act as a high-profile critic of the government’s stance on the war in Gaza.
In an impassioned press conference in Canberra, Payman wept as she declined to pledge her support for Labor’s legislative agenda on issues such as climate change or industrial relations, accusing Labor of not caring about the suffering of Palestinians.
“I am torn, deeply torn. On one hand, I have the immense support of the rank-and-file members, unionists, the lifelong party volunteers, who are calling on me to hang in there and to make change happen internally. On the other hand, I am pressured to conform to caucus solidarity and toe the party line,” she said.
“I see no middle ground and my conscience leaves me no choice.”
The 29-year-old’s resignation was expected for days after revelations the Afghan-born backbencher had begun taking advice from Glenn Druery, a consultant who specialises in getting independents elected to parliament.
Payman confirmed her relationship with Druery and acknowledged she had met with a coalition of Muslim groups planning to harness discontent with Labor’s perceived lack of support for the Palestinian case.
Fatima Payman announces her resignation from the Labor Party in Parliament House on Thursday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
But she said she had no formal affiliation with the group despite backing some of their aims. Payman stated she had no current plans to create or join a new party, but added: “Stay tuned”.
Payman, the first federal parliamentarian to wear a hijab, said: “Unlike my colleagues, I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of injustice,” a comment that infuriated Labor MPs but none have said so publicly.
“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 and pressured to say which way she would vote on the Greens motion that sparked her suspension from the caucus.
“Senators [made] it very clear that they didn’t want to sit next to me in the chamber,” she said. She also talked about “stand-up tactics” and “invading” her space, without providing further context, and colleagues “constantly pushing me for an answer when I hadn’t made a decision about whether I was going to cross the floor”.
Many Labor MPs argue her claims of intimidation are fanciful and designed to engender public support. There were several olive branches extended to Payman, who was hugged by senior minister Tanya Plibersek in parliament on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony 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.
Senator Fatima Payman takes questions from the media after announcing she has quit the Labor Party.Credit: James Brickwood
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.”
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.
The 29-year-old denied she was acting undemocratically by leaving the party which voters had given the Senate position. She said 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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