The Prime Minister say it is ‘very clear’ west Australians wanted to elect Labor to Senate, rather than Fatima Payman specifically, after she quit the party yesterday to become an independent. But Senator Payman says she is not going anywhere, citing overwhelming community support.
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00:00A quick health check-up.
00:05After a bruising week in Parliament, the Prime Minister left defending his government's commitment
00:11to diversity.
00:12Led in the Senate by someone called Wong and in the House of Representatives by someone
00:17called Albanese.
00:19After young Muslim Senator Fatima Payman sensationally quit the party questioning the direction it's
00:25headed.
00:26He left the PM with his own questions about just how long she's been planning this.
00:31She wasn't walking past the inside of the studio and Spears didn't yell out, hey Fatima
00:36how about you come and have a chat.
00:38Her push for Australia to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood resonating with a Muslim
00:44vote movement planning to mobilise in Western Sydney seats currently held by Labor.
00:50The Prime Minister concerned even though groups like the Australian Christians have long existed.
00:55I don't think and don't want Australia to go down the road of faith-based political
01:03parties because what that will do is undermine social cohesion.
01:08Senator Payman's defection also creates an extra challenge for the government right now
01:12with 25 seats in the Senate to the Coalition's 31, its reliance on the colourful crossbench
01:19grows needing the opposition or the Greens plus three others to pass its agenda.
01:25Senator Fatima Payman received around about 1,600 votes in the WA election.
01:31The ALP box above the line received 511,000 votes.
01:36I've received such an overwhelming amount of support over the last few weeks from people
01:41in Western Australia who want to see the values of fairness, justice and equality upheld.
01:47With Parliament now off for the next five weeks the Prime Minister will want to divert
01:52attention back to his government's agenda including its cost of living measures which
01:57became a mere side issue this week.
02:00Meanwhile Senator Fatima Payman considers her next move.