Unanimous support for Payman’s suspension shows Labor caucus is ‘united’ but with little room for dissent
The Labor caucus' unanimous vote to suspend Fatima Payman, without any discussion, underscores the party's intent to not let debate spill out into the public.
In the end, Fatima Payman’s suspension from the Labor Party was sealed without so much as a whimper.
In a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, Labor MPs backed Anthony Albanese's decision to suspend the senator by endorsing the position that “by her own actions and statements, Senator Payman has placed herself outside the privilege that comes with participating in the federal parliamentary Labor Party caucus”.
The move was divulged to journalists by a party spokesman in the traditional briefing held for members of the press gallery following caucus meetings.
We were told that the vote to suspend Payman over her slow-burning rebellion on the war in Gaza was carried on the voices unanimously, and not a single MP had anything to say on the matter.
