Fatima Payman refuses to quit Labor over Gaza vote, lays down gauntlet to the PM
Labor has ruled out booting the first-senator from caucus, despite her voting against the government over Gaza.
Labor senator Fatima Payman has thrown down the gauntlet to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying she will not resign from the party despite crossing the floor over Palestinian recognition.
The first-term senator defied her colleagues by backing a Greens motion on Tuesday evening which called for the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. Under Labor rules, MPs who vote against the party are typically expelled, though the government won't boot Payman from its caucus.
In a statement soon after the vote, a government spokesperson did not directly guarantee her future but noted she “maintains strong Labor values”. Clarifying the issue on Wednesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles ruled out suspending or expelling the senator, saying the government was intent on “bringing Australians together”.
“This is obviously a very difficult issue … We're not about to go around expelling people from the Labor Party for having particular views here,” Marles told the ABC.
