How a Gaza 'stunt' divided Australia's parliament
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When Fatima Payman crossed the Senate floor to vote against her government she knew it would come with consequences.
The Australian Labor party has strict penalties for those who undermine its collective positions, and acts of defiance can lead to expulsion - a precedent with a 130-year history.
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When Fatima Payman crossed the Senate floor to vote against her government she knew it would come with consequences.
The Australian Labor party has strict penalties for those who undermine its collective positions, and acts of defiance can lead to expulsion - a precedent with a 130-year history.
The last time one of its politicians tested the waters while in power was before Ms Payman was born.
But last Tuesday, the 29-year-old did just that - joining the Green party and independent senators to support a motion on Palestinian statehood.
Officially the Australian government supports a two-state solution, but did not back the motion after trying - and failing - to insert a condition that any recognition should be “as part of a peace process”.
Within hours, Ms Payman had been temporarily suspended from her party room, by the end of the week it would become indefinite - after she publicly vowed to cross the floor again if given the opportunity.
"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," a government spokesperson said.
Prime Minister and Labor leader Anthony Albanese was more concise: “No individual is bigger than the team.”
On Monday, Ms Payman responded by saying she had been "exiled" – explaining that she had been removed from caucus meetings, group chats and all committees.
The dismissal of the senator, elected in what was billed as Australia’s most diverse parliament to date, has drawn a mixed response and raised questions - mainly, whether it’s practical or fair for politicians to toe the line on issues affecting their communities.
Protesters have taken to cities across Australia
Each step 'felt like a mile'
Ms Payman stands out in Australia’s parliament.
The first and only hijab-wearing federal politician, she has been described as the embodiment of some of the nation’s most marginalised: a young woman, a migrant, a Muslim.
She recounted crossing the Senate floor as "the most difficult decision" of her political career, adding that each step of her short walk had “felt like a mile”.
However, the 29-year-old said she was “proud” of what she had done, and “bitterly disappointed” others hadn't followed.
"I walked with my Muslim brothers and sisters who told me they have felt unheard for far too long," she said.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy the Hamas group which runs Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 37,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 23 over the past 24 hours, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
This has become a volatile political issue in Australia that all sides have sought to carefully manage.
As has been the case in countless other countries, there have been protests from both Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as a sharp uptick in Islamophobia and antisemitism.
The senator's move has drawn both praise and criticism.
Anne Aly - who became the first Muslim woman to be elected in Australia’s parliament in 2016 - and has been a fierce advocate for an end to the conflict in Gaza, said she disagreed with Ms Payman’s approach.
“I choose to do things in a way I think will make a material difference on the ground. Fatima chooses to do it her way," she told news outlet the ABC.
But Josh Burns - a Jewish Labor MP from Melbourne - who has a different world view from Ms Payman when it comes to issues such as Palestinian statehood, has been one of her biggest supporters.
“Parliamentarians come from different communities and backgrounds, and trying to balance all those perspectives isn't easy, but we must be an example to the Australian community about how to debate difficult issues respectfully.”
The nation’s Islamic bodies have also issued a joint statement describing Ms Payman’s actions as “courageous” and calling on the Labor party to “echo the voices of the people it represents”.
Mr Albanese’s penalty against Ms Payman has been more lenient than the complete expulsion that party rules require.
And he’s left the door open for her to re-enter the fold if she’s willing to change course: “Fatima Payman is welcome to return to participating in the team if she accepts she's a member of it,” he said in an interview on Monday.
