Western Australian (WA) Senator Fatima Payman has downplayed her involvement with the recently announced Muslim Vote movement in Australia, as she announced she would quit the Labor Party on July 4.
Instead, the senator will move to the ever-expanding crossbench, leaving Labor with less power to pass legislation.
Wearing an enamel pin of the Palestinian and Aboriginal flags, Ms. Payman also spoke about her life in an ethnic minority and from a refugee family.
“Witnessing our government’s indifference to the greatest injustice of our times makes me question the direction the party is taking,” she said regarding Labor’s refusal to acknowledge a Palestinian state.
Labor’s official policy supports a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians, however, the war precipitated by Hamas after its invasion of Israel on Oct. 7 has made the declaration a more controversial issue.
According to Israel, more than 100 Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7 remain in Gaza.
“As a representative of the diverse and vibrant communities of Western Australia (WA), I am compelled to be their true voice in this chamber, especially when the cries for justice and humanity echo so loudly,” she told media.
“My family did not flee from a war-torn country [Afghanistan] to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people.”
Ms. Payman said she felt “deeply torn” because she had also received support from many Labor and union members, who wanted her to push for internal change in the party.
“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 conscious leaves me no choice. I am here to be WA’s voice, not just on this matter but various issues that Western Australians have raised with me from incarceration rates of Indigenous people to locking up kids as young as 10 years old.
“From the rising cost of living pressures to families living in cars and tents due to the housing crisis, from struggling to put food on the table and pay the bills, to the climate crisis, these are all the issues that Western Australians care about.
“I am here to be WA’s voice.”
Ms. Payman said she felt actions needed to align with principles and she didn’t believe Labor’s leaders had behaved in such a way.
“With a heavy heart but a clear conscience I announce my resignation of the Australian Labor Party,” she said.
“I’ve had a conversation with community members from Sydney and I do know that they are willing to put independent candidates but that’s the extent of my conversation with them,” she answered.
“Among that I’ve had many other discussions and conversations with other community groups, not just Muslim but across WA and the country.”
The Muslim Vote has been highly supportive of Ms. Payman, with six of the group’s 15 most recent Instagram posts relating to the now independent senator.
In one of the posts, the group penned an open letter to Ms. Payman, signed by 39 Australian Islamic groups.
The letter urged the government to “emulate” Ms. Payman’s leadership on the issue of a Palestinian state.
Ms. Payman said her breaking point in the party was the “conditionality” in Labor not voting to recognise a Palestinian state after having voting in favour of it at the party’s national conferences in 2021 and 2023.
More recently, the WA senator crossed the floor to support the Greens’ motion for a Palestinian state on June 25, after which she was suspended from the Labor caucus before taking a step back herself, and ultimately declaring she would leave the party.
Ms. Payman had met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese before announcing her decision.
Meanwhile, Ms. Payman told Sky News she would not be joining the Greens.
