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FATIMA PAYMAN, INDEPENDENT SENATOR: I'm ready to serve them as an independent voice, to be their voice in Canberra.
LAURA TINGLE, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The dramatic resignation of Senator Fatima Payman from the Labor Party dominated the last sitting of parliament with politicians on all sides quick to add their two cents worth to an increasingly fractious debate over Palestine. LAURA TINGLE: Former union leader, Senator for New South Wales and now rank and file Labor member, Doug Cameron, has had plenty of chances over the years, and from different perspectives, to view the Labor caucus and its role in both taking the message of the rank and file to the government and being a forum for robust debate.
LAURA TINGLE: The Payman controversy, beyond a passionate debate on Palestine, has focused attention on the so-called pledge that caucus members must make. LAURA TINGLE: The question now is whether there is room for more differentiation on obligations to solidarity. For example, a greater ability to have conscience votes and whether matters like a motion in the Senate, like the Greens motion on Palestine which Senator Payman supported, as opposed to legislation, should be something where individual members of caucus have more rights to vote individually.
ANTHONY ALBANESE: We have in the Labor Party a collective responsibility. The Labor Party was formed so that working people could advance their interests against more powerful interests in our society. We take action together going forward and I must say, 103 members of our caucus are on exactly the same page on these issues, exactly the same page.
FRANK BONGIORNO: I think one of the really interesting things about the Senator Payman business is that it's shown that for many members of the public, and perhaps particularly for younger people, that those sort of rules around corporate solidarity are almost incomprehensible. They do seem to belong to another era.
Fatima Payman Labor Anthony Albanese Labor Party Palestine Caucus Rules
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