Fatima Payman’s resignation from the Labor Party opens a new chapter in Australian political history and contains a far more potent threat to Anthony Albanese than just the loss of one vote in the Senate.
It could also be the dawn of a new era in Australia of candidates forming a party based on faith, with the sole purpose of appealing to those of that faith.
With the chilling words of “stay tuned”, the renegade WA senator has put the Prime Minister and his government on notice of the likelihood of her providing the foundation stone for a new Muslim political movement based around a minor party or closely orchestrated independents.
Albanese and his senior ministers, particularly those in the western Sydney seats most at threat, know the fatal impact a well-organised, well-funded and highly focused group of “independents” – such as the Climate 200 teals – can deliver.
It has been bad enough that Payman’s month-long campaign of insurrection over support for Palestine and the Greens in the Senate has clouded Albanese’s planned July 1 celebrations for cost-of-living relief. It is worse that she has attacked her erstwhile caucus colleagues and reduced Labor’s Senate numbers by one. But it is worst of all that she can now create a Muslim party targeted against Labor MPs.
For the 29-year-old, two-year Muslim senator from Afghanistan to even ponder establishing a party that could remove enough Labor MPs to deny the Albanese government a majority at the next election puts her among some of the greatest of Labor “rats in the ranks” in 130-years of ALP tradition.
At an “emotional” press conference after sending Albanese her resignation, Payman repeated her claims she had been intimidated and isolated by Labor MPs and senators, denied she had been planning the resignation for a month – as Albanese indicated – and said she would not be joining the Greens.
But, when asked if she would form a new party – which as a sitting senator she can fast-track – Payman said: “At this stage, I do not plan to form a party … but stay tuned.”
Stay tuned. It’s not as if Albanese and his colleagues have been tuning out as Payman orchestrated a media campaign that distracted entirely from Labor’s July 1 cost-of-living measures, accused them of intimidation, handed the Greens propaganda victories and put Labor in outer suburban Sydney and Melbourne on a war footing.
Much damage has been done to Labor over the whole issue of support for Palestine since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, which killed 1200 Israelis and saw hundreds more taken hostage. The PM has suffered a loss of authority, social division has risen, and vandalism and damaging protests, such as the occupation of the Parliament House roof on Thursday, has occurred, but there is potential for much worse if Payman tunes in to Muslim political movement.
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