Newly independent senator Fatima Payman says she decided to leave the Labor party yesterday morning but was prompted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Senator Fatima Payman sits with the crossbench during question time in the Senate on Thursday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
On Wednesday in question time, Albanese flagged he expected Payman to make an announcement, which Payman said made her realise she needed to come to a decision sooner rather than later.
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“It was yesterday morning when I made the decision that I need to resign,” Payman told ABC’s RN Breakfast on Friday morning.
“It wasn’t until Wednesday during question time when the PM said that, you know, we should be expecting an announcement from Senator Payman about what she plans on doing. And so that made me realise, Oh, I’m expected to make a decision sooner than later,” Payman said.
“And that’s when I had to really think through and make the decision and resign yesterday.”
But Payman clarified that the decision was her own.
“I wouldn’t say he forced my hand because I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions. And, you know, I don’t need to be told by others what to do. But in saying that I feel like the debacle had been going on for a long time. And it was necessary for me to, instead of continuing this over the winter recess, for me to part ways,”
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