West Australian Senator Fatima Payman became the first Labor member to cross the floor since 2005 after she sided with the Greens on a vote to declare a Palestinian state.
Speaking to media after the move, Ms. Payman referenced former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke, who she said stated in 2017 that Australia should join other nations in the world who recognise a Palestinian state.
“We cannot believe in two-state solutions and only recognise one,” she said.
“I ponder how the party icons like Bob Hawke, Gough Whitlam, Paul Keating can justify the current position. Should we not be true to their legacy?
“I was not elected as a token representative of diversity, I was elected to serve the people of WA and uphold the values instilled in me by my late father.”
As a Labor member, Ms. Payman is expected to follow the party’s position, however, there are no mandated penalties for crossing the floor, which leaves a question about her future in the party.
The move has led to speculation on whether Labor will keep Ms. Payman in its ranks following her alignment with the Greens.
Any decision to expel the senator is one for the caucus, and the senator’s Labor membership will be left in the hands of the national executive.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said any decision on Ms. Payman’s future in the party would have to go through a process, but did not detail what that process would involve.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said Ms. Payman’s actions were a challenge to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
His colleague, Senator Jane Hume, said it showed weak leadership in the party.
“Only a month ago, she stood up and gave a press conference where she used ... and I won’t repeat the phrase, but a phrase that the prime minister himself says incites violence and antisemitism,” Ms. Hume told Seven.
“How he deals with it is going to be a test of his leadership.”
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils welcomed Ms. Payman’s decision to cross the floor.
Jewish groups, such as the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, have rejected the move, with many Jewish advocates against Palestinian statehood without the removal of Hamas.
Greens senator Mehreen Farqui, who put forth the motion to recognise a Palestinian state, said Ms. Payman had shown “real moral courage.”
Ms. Payman has previously criticised Australian leaders for “performance gestures” on the Israel-Hamas war.
“Instead of advocating for justice, I see our leaders performatively gesture defending the oppressor’s right to oppress, while gaslighting the global community about the rights of self-defence,” she previously said in Canberra.
Her comments come in the wake of the war which was precipitated by Hamas’s invasion of Israel in October, resulting in the murder of 1,200 Israelis, including children.
Hundreds more Israelis were kidnapped, including a toddler and baby, and many remain as hostages in Gaza, which is under Hamas control.
