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Fatima Payman

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Senator
Fatima Payman
Payman in 2022
Leader of Australia's Voice
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 October 2024
Preceded byOffice established
Senator for Western Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 July 2022
Personal details
Born1995 (age 28–29)
Kabul, Islamic State of Afghanistan
Citizenship
Political partyAustralia's Voice (since 2024)
Other political
affiliations
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia
Signature

Fatima Payman (Dari: فاطمه پیمان; born 1995) is an Australian politician who has served as a senator for Western Australia since 2022, first for the Labor Party and then as an independent, before launching her own political party − Australia's Voice − in October 2024.

Payman was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, migrating to Perth with her family in 2003. She attended the Australian Islamic College and studied pharmacy at the University of Western Australia. Payman was president of Young Labor WA and an organiser for the United Workers Union, before becoming an electorate officer for WA Labor politician Pierre Yang. At the 2022 Australian federal election, Payman was elected to the Australian Senate as a senator for Western Australia. She was the third-youngest member to have been elected to the Senate and the first Muslim member of parliament to wear a hijab.

In May and June 2024, Payman's statements in support of Palestine during the Israel–Hamas war and criticism of the Albanese government's response to the war brought her out of step with the rest of the government. On 25 June 2024, Payman crossed the floor to support an Australian Greens resolution to recognise a Palestinian state, leading to her being indefinitely suspended from the Labor caucus. On 4 July 2024, Payman quit the Labor Party to sit as an independent, and on 9 October 2024, Payman launched her own political party, Australia's Voice.

Early life and education

[edit]

Fatima Payman was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1995,[1][2][3] the eldest of four children.[4] Payman's grandfather was a member of parliament in Afghanistan.[5]

Payman's family fled the Taliban for Pakistan when she was five years old.[6] Her father arrived in Australia via boat in 1999 and spent time in immigration detention, after which he worked as a security guard, kitchen hand and taxi driver, so he could afford to sponsor the migration of his wife and four children. The rest of the family arrived in Australia in 2003, when Fatima was eight, and settled in Perth.[7][4] Once in Australia, her mother started a business giving driving lessons.[7]

Payman graduated from the Australian Islamic College in Perth, where she was head girl, in 2013.[8] She attended the University of Western Australia, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology and a Graduate Diploma of Pharmaceutical Science.[9][10]

Payman worked as a pharmacy assistant and chemist at Terry White's from February 2018 until February 2020.[9]

Political career

[edit]

Payman joined the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2018 as an organiser[6] and was president of Young Labor WA, having been a member of the Labor Party since 2014.[11] She recalled her observation of her father's experiences of workplace abuse and exploitation as a main motivation for joining the two organisations.[12] She worked as electorate officer for Pierre Yang[10] from 30 May 2019 to 23 December 2020.[9]

2022 election

[edit]

Payman was third on the Labor Party's ticket for the Senate at the 2022 Australian federal election and not expected to win a seat. She intended to use the 2022 election campaign as "practice" before seriously running in 2025.[12]

Payman was naturalised as an Australian citizen in 2005, although this did not automatically revoke her Afghan citizenship according to Afghan law. The 1992 High Court ruling Sykes v Cleary in regards to Section 44 of the Constitution of Australia determined that a political candidate must take "all reasonable steps" to renounce other citizenships.[13] Payman says she approached the Afghanistan embassy in Australia in October 2021 to renounce her Afghan citizenship, and that the embassy could not proceed with the formal process because it had no contact with the new Taliban government following the 2021 Taliban offensive. The Labor Party received legal advice that Payman was nevertheless still eligible to be elected, deeming that she had taken "all reasonable steps" to renounce her Afghan citizenship. She noted that the Afghan Embassy in Australia did not know whether the departments and officers responsible for processing her application in Kabul even existed.[14]

At the 2022 Australian federal election, Payman won the sixth and final Senate vacancy after a swing of 6.92% to Labor and a 9.24% swing against the Liberal party in Western Australian Senate voting.[15] Her election was the first time the ALP won three Senate seats in WA since the Senate had been expanded in 1984.[16] Elected at age 27, she is the third youngest Senator in Australian history and is currently the youngest serving Senator.[15][12] She has said her priorities include "getting more people from diverse backgrounds involved in politics, improving early childhood education, and climate change".[15] She has also said she wants to "normalise hijab wearing".[6]

On 4 December 2022, Payman was awarded "Australian Muslim Role Model of the Year" at the 15th Australian Muslim Achievement Awards at the Sydney Opera House.[17]

Crossing the floor and move to the crossbench

[edit]

In a May 2024 speech to the Senate, Payman broke ranks with the Labor Party and accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, criticised the Australian Government for failing to sufficiently respond to Israel's alleged war crimes in the Israel–Hamas war, and called for sanctions and divestment against Israel. She concluded her speech by remarking "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free". Payman's speech was noted by The Guardian as a "significant rupture with the Labor party position".[18][19] On 17 June 2024 Payman wrote an article in Al Jazeera English supportive of recognition of Palestine by Australia and argued "Such a move would support the peace efforts, not undermine them, as some have argued".[20] On 25 June 2024, Payman crossed the floor to vote in favour of a resolution supporting Australian recognition of Palestinian statehood, voting with the crossbench against the government and opposition.[21] Payman stated "My decision to cross the floor was the most difficult decision I have had to make".[22] She then stepped down from two parliamentary foreign affairs committees and was suspended from caucus for the remainder of that parliamentary sitting week.[23][24][25] Later, on 30 June 2024, Payman was suspended indefinitely from the Labor caucus after stating in an interview that she would cross the floor again if a similar resolution was before the Senate[26] and can no longer participate in any parliamentary meetings of the caucus. Prime Minister and Labor Leader Anthony Albanese stated Payman could return if she "respect[ed] the caucus and members".[21] On 1 July, Payman stated in a Facebook post that she had been "exiled" from the party, that she would abstain from voting in the senate for the rest of the week, and that "some members are attempting to intimidate [her] into resigning from the Senate".[27]

Payman received support for crossing the floor from the Labor Friends of Palestine, who stated Payman's actions were "entirely consistent with Labor principles and policy".[28] The Australian National Imams Council and Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt both praised Payman's act as courageous.[29] On 3 July 2024, the Leichhardt branch of the Labor Party, which is within Albanese's electorate of Grayndler, passed a motion supporting Payman. Five other Labor branches had also passed similar motions.[30] Former Labor politician Harry Quick, who was expelled from the party after crossing the floor in 2007, stated his admiration for Payman and urged her to not "bend or waver".[31]

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong criticised Payman's decision, stating that party disagreements should be handled "internally", and that she herself had previously voted against same-sex marriage in keeping with party policy despite her own personal support of it.[28] On 1 July 2024, Albanese said that Payman's actions had disrupted the government's messaging "the day before the most significant assistance that has been given to working people in a very long period of time", referring to the stage three tax cuts and energy bill relief which came into effect that day.[32] Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley stated that Payman crossing the floor was a sign of Anthony Albanese's "weak leadership".[29]

Labor MP Anne Aly, who had often disagreed with party positions regarding the Gaza conflict, said in an interview that she did not agree with Payman's approach. Referring to Payman's abstention on Labor's proposed amendment to a Greens motion calling for recognition of a Palestinian state, Aly said "I choose to do things in a way I think will make a material difference on the ground to people in Palestine. Fatima chooses to do it her way". Payman said her choice to abstain on Labor's amendment and to vote for the final Greens motion was consistent with Labor's platform which endorsed a two-state solution and made Palestinian recognition "an important priority". Aly said that Payman "could have voted for [the Labor amendment] if she held Labor values".[33] Labor MP for Higgins, Michelle Ananda-Rajah, criticised Payman by saying that there had been "numerous opportunities" for Payman to raise her concerns internally.[34]

On 4 July 2024, Payman quit the Labor Party to sit as an independent in the Senate.[35] Independent senator Lidia Thorpe praised Payman as being on the "right side of history".[36] Labor party president Wayne Swan stated that Payman's defection would "empower Labor’s opponents on the far right".[36] Upon returning to WA on 6 July, Payman was met by a cheering crowd of supporters at Perth Airport.[37]

On 18 July, The Guardian reported two resignations among Multicultural Labor, a superregional branch of WA Labor.[38] The group's treasurer and vice-president had quit the Labor Party on 4 July "in protest" at the treatment of Fatima Payman. The resigning vice-president, Adam Demir, called the party a "spineless jellyfish".[39]

In August 2024, Payman appointed political strategist Glenn Druery as her chief of staff.[40]

In September 2024, Payman delivered a two-minute critique of government failure to accommodate young voters, who she believed feel "disenfranchised" by the two major parties.[41] The speech gained notoriety due to its usage of slang words directed at the younger audiences of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, with Payman saying, "it is for this reason that I shall now render the remainder of my statement in a language they can understand". Payman used colloquialisms such as sigmas, goofy ahh, Ohio, gyat, fanum tax, aura, capping/yapping, and skibidi.[42] The speech was subsequently labelled as "brainrot".[43]

Party formation

[edit]

On 3 October 2024, Druery encouraged speculation that Payman would launch her own party, stating "watch this space".[44] Albanese suggested that Payman should resign from the Senate, giving her seat to Labor, and contest the election with her new party instead of remaining to serve her full Senate term. Payman rejected this and suggested her new party could run a candidate in Albanese's electorate of Grayndler at the next federal election.[45] On 9 October, Payman announced the creation of a new political party, Australia's Voice, and became its leader.[46] In launching the party, Payman stated that Australia's Voice would be "a new political party for the disenfranchised, the unheard, and those yearning for real change", and that the ALP had "lost its way".[47]

Other activities

[edit]

Payman has worked as a program coordinator at the Edmund Rice Centre WA.[10]

She was listed as a board member of the Australian Islamic College as of 2022.[48]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2018, Payman's father died of leukaemia.[7]

Payman married Labor staffer Jacob Stokes in February 2024. He is a convert to Islam. Stokes resigned from his job, but not the party, following Payman's defection.[49]

References

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  1. ^ "Editorial: An election result for modern Australia". The West Australian. 23 May 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ^ jomhornews.com (20 June 2022). "جمهور – زن افغانستانی سناتور استرالیا شد". خبرگزاری جمهور (in Persian). Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  3. ^ Ison, Sarah (15 May 2024). "Senator Fatima Payman broke ranks with Labor over Israel this week. Here's what we know about her". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Senator Payman was born in 1995 as the first child of Abdul and Shogufa Waki amid the collapse of Afghanistan at the hands of the Taliban.
  4. ^ a b 'Making history today': Fatima Payman becomes parliament's first hijab-wearing Muslim woman (Report). SBS News. 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  5. ^ Refugee Senate hopeful seizes opportunity (Report). 7News. 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Martin, Sarah (20 June 2022). "'I want to normalise hijab wearing': WA's newest Labor senator on making history". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Fatima Payman – Labor Candidate for Senate (Report). 7News. 2021. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Australian Islamic College Perth congratulates Sr. Fatima Payman". Australian Islamic College Perth. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Senator Fatima Payman". Australian Parliament House. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Fatima Payman for the Senate". Emily's List Australia. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  11. ^ Crowley, Tom (4 July 2024). "Fatima Payman reflected Labor's hopes for the future. How did it lose her?". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Fatima Payman (left) joined the Labor party in 2014 and was WA Young Labor President in 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Hastie, Hamish (23 June 2022). "The story of Australia's first hijab-wearing Muslim senator – and why she's looking forward to meeting Pauline Hanson". WA Today. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  13. ^ O'Brien, Sarah (1992). "Background Paper Number 29: Dual citizenship, foreign allegiance and s. 44(i) of the Australian Constitution" (PDF). Issues Brief. Canberra: Department of the Parliamentary Library. ISSN 1037-2938. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  14. ^ Hastie, Hamish (28 April 2022). "Taliban takeover prevents Labor Senate hopeful from renouncing Afghan citizenship". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Bourke, Keane (20 June 2022). "Labor candidate Fatima Payman claims sixth WA Senate seat". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Senate Results". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  17. ^ Ahmad, Zia (23 December 2022). "AMAA 2022: Celebrating Muslim high achievers at Sydney Opera House". AMUST. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  18. ^ Al-Khouri, Chantelle; Evans, Jake (15 May 2024). "Labor backbencher breaks ranks to label Gaza invasion a 'genocide'". ABC News (Australia). Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  19. ^ Hurst, Daniel (15 May 2024). "Fatima Payman accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza in significant rupture with Labor party position". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  20. ^ Payman, Fatima. "Australia must recognise Palestine to promote peace". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Senator Fatima Payman 'indefinitely suspended' from Labor Party caucus". ABC News. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  22. ^ May, Natasha; Remeikis, Amy (25 June 2024). "Australia politics live: Labor senator Fatima Payman crosses floor to support Greens' Palestine motion". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  23. ^ Knott, Matthew (30 May 2024). "Fatima Payman resigns from parliamentary committees after 'genocide' comments". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Labor senator resigns from foreign affairs committees after genocide comments". ABC News. 30 May 2024. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Payman receives 'cold shoulder' from colleagues after Palestinian vote, says she would cross the floor again". ABC News. 30 June 2024. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  26. ^ Middleton, Karen (30 June 2024). "Fatima Payman suspended from Labor caucus over vow to cross the floor again on Palestine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  27. ^ Remeikis, Amy (1 July 2024). "Australia politics live: Fatima Payman says 'I have been exiled' from Labor and claims some members trying to 'intimidate' her to quit Senate". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  28. ^ a b Hurst, Daniel; Remeikis, Amy (27 June 2024). "Penny Wong confirms some in Labor caucus 'upset' Fatima Payman crossed the floor on Palestine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  29. ^ a b Karp, Paul; Rachwani, Mostafa (26 June 2024). "PM asks Fatima Payman not to attend Labor caucus temporarily after crossing floor over Palestine motion". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  30. ^ Hurst, Daniel; Butler, Josh (3 July 2024). "Labor branch in Albanese's electorate passes motion supporting Fatima Payman". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  31. ^ Canales, Sarah Basford; Hurst, Daniel (2 July 2024). "Former dissenting Labor MP backs Fatima Payman and says party needs to reconsider rules". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  32. ^ Karp, Paul (1 July 2024). "Albanese stands by Fatima Payman's suspension over Palestine 'stunt'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Suspended for her Palestine vote, Labor's Fatima Payman is isolated from colleagues but has pockets of support". ABC News. 1 July 2024. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  34. ^ Visontay, Elias; Remeikis, Amy; Remeikis (earlier), Amy (4 July 2024). "Senator says PM's office planted seed about crossing floor – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Fatima Payman to quit Labor and become an independent". ABC News. 4 July 2024. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  36. ^ a b Butler, Josh (4 July 2024). "Fatima Payman's decision to quit Labor party will 'empower opponents on far right', Wayne Swan says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Independent Senator Fatima Payman returns home to WA". The Age. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  38. ^ "Local and Direct Branches". WA Labor. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  39. ^ Hurst, Daniel (17 July 2024). "WA Labor multicultural group in revolt over treatment of Fatima Payman". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  40. ^ Karp, Paul (9 August 2024). "Ex-Labor senator Fatima Payman appoints 'preference whisperer' Glenn Druery as chief of staff". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Senator labels the government 'capaholics': Fatima Payman's Gen Alpha speech decoded". SBS News. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  42. ^ Kirk, Emma (11 September 2024). "Senator gives unhinged speech to youth to oppose social media ban for kids". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  43. ^ Weedston, Lindsey (13 September 2024). "Fatima Payman Gen Z Slang Speech Declared 'Brainrot'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  44. ^ Karp, Paul (3 October 2024). "Glenn Druery encourages speculation Fatima Payman will launch her own political party". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  45. ^ "Let the voters judge your actions: PM dares Payman". Australian Financial Review. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  46. ^ Remeikis, Amy (9 October 2024). "Politics live: Payman says new political party Australia's Voice will be 'for the disenfranchised and the unheard'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  47. ^ Butler, Josh (9 October 2024). "Fatima Payman launches new party, accusing Labor and Coalition of 'stranglehold over our democracy'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  48. ^ "School Board". Australian Islamic College. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  49. ^ "When Fatima Payman derailed her Labor career, her husband was collateral damage". ABC News. 18 August 2024. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
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