Anthony Albanese clear-eyed on threat of Muslim political group

Anthony Albanese is worried the threat of a Muslim party or candidates at the next election is potentially as damaging as the fatal six-seat teal independent grab from the Liberals in 2022.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese is worried the threat of a Muslim party or candidates at the next election is potentially as damaging as the fatal six-seat teal independent grab from the Liberals in 2022, and flagged the resignation of rogue senator Fatima Payman from the ALP within days.

Senior Labor figures believe the danger from independent Muslim candidates, combined with support from the Greens, could unseat at least six Labor MPs and ministers in suburban Melbourne and Sydney depending on preference flows.

Expectation of the creation of a Muslim, pro-Palestinian party or a swath of independents jumped after the Prime Minister flagged in parliament that the suspended Senator Payman would resign in “coming days” and reveal the strategy behind the month-long rebellion by the 29-year-old Muslim WA senator.

Under electoral law a new political party can be registered for an election if it collects 1500 signatures or the signature of a senator or member of the House of Representatives, as has been the case for several parties such as the Pauline Hanson One Nation party and the Jacqui Lambie Network. Being part of a registered political party improves a candidate’s chances of election, including in the Senate, and makes it more likely to gather taxpayer-funded electoral funding.

Mr Albanese said: “Senator Payman, of course, has made a decision to place herself outside the Labor Party, that is a decision that she made.

“I expect further announcements in the coming days which will explain exactly what the strategy has been for over a month now.”

Senator Fatima Payman. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Professional electoral and preference adviser Glenn Druery confirmed on Tuesday that he was talking to Senator Payman, but did not respond to questions over how long he had been in discussions with her. Mr Druery is also known as the “preference whisperer” for his history of helping minor parties at elections.

Senator Payman first embarrassed the government by making statements in support of pro-Palestinian protesters, was then suspended from the Labor parliamentary caucus for one day for crossing the floor in the Senate and voting for a Greens motion which contradicted government policy on Israel and Palestine, and was then “indefinitely suspended” when she declared she would cross the floor again.

Mr Albanese was accused of not applying 130-year-old Labor rules, giving permission for Labor MPs to vote against the government and being soft on Senator Payman for fear of upsetting Muslim voters, particularly in Western Sydney.

Mr Albanese and senior ministers denied claims Senator Payman had been intimidated and isolated from Labor colleagues.

Jim Chalmers said: “Fatima Payman has chosen to put herself outside of the obligations that all of us sign up to as Labor members and senators. I think that’s really unfortunate. I would rather Fatima Payman be in the fold”.

But senior Labor ministers expected her to resign from the ALP and began to prepare for her to join or represent a growing Muslim political movement and campaign against Labor MPs in seats with high Muslim populations, such as Education Minister Jason Clare in Blaxland, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke in Watson, Energy Minister Chris Bowen in McMahon and Industry Minister Ed Husic in Chifley, all in Sydney’s west. In Melbourne, backbenchers Peter Khalil in Wills and Ged Kearney in Cooper would be under pressure.

The loss of six Labor seats would automatically put the government at least into minority, with neither the Coalition nor ALP able to form government in their own right.

“The way for this threat to become serious for the government is for us not to take it seriously,” one senior Labor source said.

“We saw how the Liberals allowed the teal independents to win seats and we are not going to allow that to happen.”

Labor has been aware of a campaign in western Sydney, which began shortly after the deadly Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, of collecting money and seeking Muslim candidates to run against ALP MPs.

In some western Sydney seats the Muslim vote is as high as 30 per cent and Labor MPs fear independent pro-Palestinian candidates or new parties could beat sitting members because of preference flows from the Greens and other parties.

Seats targeted by the Greens are the same as those highlighted by political organisations The Muslim Vote and Muslim Votes Matter, including the Victorian seats of Wills and Cooper.

A spokesman for The Muslim Vote said it was “a grassroots movement unifying the Muslim vote supporting particular candidates”.

The Muslim Vote said Senator Payman was not involved in the organisation.