Labor senator Fatima Payman crossed the floor on Tuesday evening to vote with crossbenchers on a failed motion to recognise the state of Palestine in the Senate.
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The Greens' motion called on parliamentarians to recognise the state of Palestine as a matter of urgency, but was blocked by the Coalition and Labor after their respective amendments were voted down.
Though the motion failed to win support, Senator Payman notably crossed the floor to vote with the Greens and crossbench senators David Pocock and Lidia Thorpe in support of it, after breaking ranks with her party's messaging on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
It is not clear whether there will be political consequences for Senator Payman, though the Labor party does not have a mandated sanction for MPs who vote against the collective decisions of caucus.
"The Senator says she maintains strong Labor values and intends to continue representing the Western Australians who elected her as a Labor Senator," an Albanese government spokesperson said.
"There is no mandated sanction in these circumstances and previous caucus members have crossed the floor without facing expulsion.
"As reflected in our amendment, the Government supports the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a peace process towards a two-state solution."
Speaking to journalists after the vote, the senator did not comment on potential consequences for her vote.
"That's not for me to comment on, all I know is I hold Labor values and when I got elected, I pledged to represent Western Australians and the constituents I represent," she said.
She said she made the decision to vote in favour of the motion as she was sitting in the chamber.
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In May, Senator Payman called out Israel's retaliation on Gaza for the October 7 Hamas attacks a "genocide", ending her statement with the disputed pro-Palestine phrase, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned her comments as inappropriate at the time.
Earlier in the evening, Labor sought to amend the motion to reflect its support for a two-state solution, calling for the Senate to "recognise the State of Palestine as a part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and a just and enduring peace".
The Coalition meanwhile wanted to build on this, calling for "preconditions" to be met before the Senate recognise the state of Palestine, including that there be no future for Hamas in a Palestinian state, and that Palestinian representatives recognise "Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state".
But the two major parties took turns blocking opposing amendments, leading to a vote on the original motion.
Miriam Webber
Miriam Webber is a federal politics and public sector reporter, with a keen interest in integrity, transparency and accountability in government. She has been a member of the federal political bureau since 2023, and previously worked as the city reporter. Reach her at miriam.webber@canberratimes.com.au
Miriam Webber is a federal politics and public sector reporter, with a keen interest in integrity, transparency and accountability in government. She has been a member of the federal political bureau since 2023, and previously worked as the city reporter. Reach her at miriam.webber@canberratimes.com.au
