PM Anthony Albanese will not suspend or expel Labor Senator Fatima Payman

Anthony Albanese’s one-meeting ban on a rogue Labor senator who crossed the floor to back a Green’s motion on Palestinian statehood has been criticised as “pathetic”.

Anthony Albanese’s one-meeting ban on a rogue Labor senator who crossed the floor to back a Green’s motion on Palestinian statehood has been criticised as “pathetic”.

Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the Prime Minister’s request for West Australian Senator Fatima Payman to miss one Labor caucus after breaking ranks with the party was “more like a morning off” than a punishment.

“It’s the punishment you deliver when you’re not punishing someone,” he said.

Mr Birmingham accused Mr Albanese of having a “bob each way”.

“Does Labor now allow floor crossing, or do they still require caucus solidarity?” he said.

Labor senator Fatima Payman will not be attending the party’s next caucus meeting. Picture: NewsWire

“In a desperate effort to appease everyone Anthony Albanese won’t even stand up for his own party’s values and traditions.”

A Labor senator was barred from one party meeting after she crossed the floor to support a Greens motion on Palestinian statehood, condemned as part of a “hate-filled campaign” to fuel social division in Australia.

Under pressure to censure Senator Fatima Payman, Anthony Albanese revealed he had spoken with the West Australian backbencher on Wednesday and she would “not be attending” Labor’s parliamentary caucus meeting next week.

The Coalition described the incident as a test of the Prime Minister’s leadership, arguing it would be “weak” if there were no consequences for Ms Payman.

Historically Labor members who break ranks in parliamentary votes have been temporarily suspended or even expelled from the party, but the consequence for Ms Payman was limited to the one-off ban from a meeting ordinarily held every week parliament is sitting.

On Tuesday night Ms Payman shocked her Labor colleagues by crossing the floor to vote in favour of a motion put forward by the Greens recognising Palestinian statehood.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with Senator Payman on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire

The Albanese government’s position on the issue is to only support a Palestinian state as part of a peace process moving toward a two-state solution.

Unlike their Coalition counterparts, Labor MPs and senators are not permitted vote against their own party.

Ms Payman’s decision made Mr Albanese the first Labor PM faced with enforcing the rule, which can include consequences like suspension or expulsion from the party, since Bob Hawke in 1986.

Prior to the announcement Ms Payman would not attend caucus, Labor MPs were divided over whether she should be suspended or face some penalty for her actions.

Several MPs said they were “frustrated” and “annoyed” that her decision to cross the floor, which Ms Payman claimed was a choice made in the moment, undermined the unity expected across Labor during votes on controversial issues.

“This is a sensitive issue, but there are plenty of other times MPs who would have liked to cross the floor did not,” a Labor MP said.

Another MP said it had been a long time since the rule against dissenting votes had been “tested,” which now “posed the question are the floodgates open on future issues”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton took aim at Mr Albanese during Question Time, demanding to know if he would show “strength of leadership” and suspend Ms Payman from Labor.

Mr Dutton said Ms Payman was backing a “hate-filled campaign” being run by the Greens to “ferment social divisions” on Palestine.

Mr Albanese said Labor supported a two-state solution, reiterating his condemnation of the October 7 attacks against Israel by terror group Hamas and expressing his “great concern” about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Earlier Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the incident was a “direct challenge” to Mr Albanese’s authority as Labor leader.

“If he fails that, if there are no consequences for Senator Payman, then not just … my eyes, will he be a weak Prime Minister – but in the eyes of his own caucus members,” he said.

Originally published as PM Anthony Albanese will not suspend or expel Labor Senator Fatima Payman