Anthony Albanese woke up this morning and chose weakness- after being betrayed by one of his own, Fatima Payman, in the most public of fashions, writes PETER VAN ONSELEN By Peter van Onselen, Political Editor for Daily Mail Australia Published: 03:45, 26 June 2024 | Updated: 03:45, 26 June 2024 e-mail View comments Anthony Albanese is tiptoeing through the political tulips when it comes to one of his Labor senators breaking party rules and crossing the floor on the issue of Palestine . WA Labor senator Fatima Payman defied both her prime minister and party when she sided with the Greens in a motion to recognise Palestinian statehood . Yes, the Labor rule to maintain the collective and not vote against the party is set in stone.
Theoretically at least. And yes the PM has quite explicitly condemned the Greens for stoking violence when it comes to issues surrounding Palestine and Israel . But such principles matter less than raw political decision making.
Albo has a problem when it comes to balancing the competing interests on this vexed topic within his own party. Not dissimilar to the challenges President Joe Biden faces within the American Democrats . Slapping down the 29-year-old Australian senator for what she did would only have increased tensions within Labor.
So on Wednesday morning, he chose weakness by refusing to expel her from the party - but for strategic reasons. Senator Fatima Payman (pictured, with David Pocock) crossed the floor and voted against her party, in v.
