Senator Payman's case: Is the Labor Party less flexible?

Newly-elected Labor Senator Fatima Payman (R), the first Afghan-Australian Muslim woman in Parliament, attends a session in the Senate chamber during the opening of the 47th Parliament at Parliament House in Canberra on July 26, 2022. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images).

Newly-elected Labor Senator Fatima Payman (R), the first Afghan-Australian Muslim woman in Parliament, attends a session in the Senate chamber during the opening of the 47th Parliament at Parliament House in Canberra on July 26, 2022. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images

Senator Fatima Payman's dissatisfaction with her own government related to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and refusal to recognise Palestine as a state were major factors that prompted her to quit the Labor Party and become an independent senator.


Senator Fatima Payman, was the first senator from Western Australia and originally from Afghanistan, she arrived in Australia at the age of five.

Prof Greg Barton is Prof of Global Islamic Politics at the Alfred Deakin Institute, at Deakin University.

In an interview with SBS Indonesian, Prof Barton gave his opinion on Senator Payman's case and highlighted the importance of flexibility and support towards the younger generation in politics.

He regarded Senator Payman's decision to step down from his party as something understandable, given his age and background.
It was pointed out that Payman's political views were strongly influenced by his background and his beliefs on international issues such as the conflict in Gaza and the status of Palestine.

Mr Barton said it should be the Labor Party and the Greens to be more inclusive and support younger generations like Senator Payman, who used to be a young activist from the Labor Party.

Barton sees Senator Payman's potential as an asset to various political parties in the future, including the Labor Party, the Green Party, and even the Liberal Party.

By becoming an independent senator now, Barton believed that Payman could bring valuable contributions to a wide range of political interests, demonstrating that party membership was not an absolute thing in achieving larger political goals.



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