After crisis talks with the Prime Minister at The Lodge in Canberra, Labor senator Fatima Payman has been indefinitely suspended from the Labor caucus. Senator Payman crossed the Senate floor to vote for a Greens motion recognising a Palestinian state.

Canberra

Labor Senator Fatima Payman has been suspended indefinitely from the Labor caucus. This action follows her decision to cross the floor of Parliament and support a Greens motion recognizing the state of Palestine, thereby breaking party rules. Initially, Payman received a one-week suspension for this breach.

Following her public statement expressing her willingness to defy party rules again, she was summoned to meet with the Prime Minister. A statement from the party indicated that Payman had placed herself "outside the privilege that comes with participating in the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party caucus." The statement also mentioned that she could return if she agreed to respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues.

The decision has stirred tensions within the Labor Party. There is concern about the party's support among Muslim and Arab communities, especially in key electorates such as Western Sydney, due to the Albanese government's stance on the conflict in Gaza. The suspension of Senator Payman has added to these concerns and raised questions about the party's commitment to diversity.



Labor senator Fatima Payman indefinitely suspended

the West Australian Labor Senator, who is a Muslim Australian, has been suspended from the Labor caucus indefinitely. This started last week, when she broke party rules, crossed the floor of Parliament, and supported a Greens motion to recognise the state of Palestine. For that, her punishment was being suspended from Labor caucus for a week. But today, in an act of defiance, she came out publicly and said she'd do it again, and essentially conveyed that she wasn't going to work quietly within the party structure to try to effect change. She was going to speak out. So, Senator Payman was then summoned to the Lodge this afternoon to talk with the Prime Minister, and a statement has now been released. By her own actions and statement, Senator Payman has placed herself outside the privilege that comes with participating in the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party caucus, it said. If Senator Payman decides she will respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues, she can return. This is a huge problem for Labor, and it's bigger than just the crossing the floor issue. It's already facing a backlash in some electorates where there are Muslim and Arab communities, especially in crucial Western Sydney seats, and they are unhappy about the Albanese government's stance on the war in Gaza. And suspending Fatima Payman will only inflame that. But it also raises questions around how Labor embraces diversity in practice, especially when the Prime Minister has been very keen to point out the diversity in his team and how it reflects modern Australia.

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