PM ‘didn’t overreact’ on Payman exit: Shorten
Daniel Hurst
Federal government services minister Bill Shorten has backed Anthony Albanese’s handling of caucus solidarity rules after the first-term senator Fatima Payman quit the Labor party.
Payman resigned from the party on Thursday, saying she was leaving with a heavy heart but a clear conscience after she viewed the government’s response to the bloodshed in Gaza with indifference. She had previously been suspended from Labor’s federal caucus after she warned she might cross the floor a second time to support immediate recognition of the state of Palestine.
Shorten, the minister for the NDIS and a former Labor leader, said in an interview on Sky News this morning:
I think the prime minister has tried to handle this in the very best way possible. He didn’t overreact. He hasn’t under reacted. I thought the suspension was the right way to go. It was saying: ‘you are welcome Fatima, and let’s give you a bit of time and space to work it through’. Clearly that’s not where her head was at – she’s walked. I don’t think there’s anything else the prime minister could have done, frankly.
Asked about reports that Payman had taken informal advice from the controversial political strategist Glenn Druery, Shorten said:
The Senate is littered with people who have taken advice from Glenn Druery. Sometimes they get up, ultimately they flame out. I’m not going to give Fatima Payman advice. I hoped that she wouldn’t leave – I’m disappointed, but that’s her call.
Key events
Faruqi says Muslim voters have been “ignored” in Australia that their views overlooked.
Politicians have both the old parties have for years, decades, used us as tokens, as photo opportunities at religious events but have never actually deemed to address the issues that affect the communities.
She says it is a reaction to this situation is for the community to begin to run their own candidates.
Faruqi says she has been in touch with Senator Fatima Payman.
I’ve been in touch with Senator Payman over the past few weeks and also before that. I think being the other brown Muslim woman in that Senate, I can understand far better than most what Senator Payman has been going through.
Faruqi says that “throughout my political life, I have been a target of Islamophobia” and that she has been “vilified for strong positions that I have taken” which means she can understand what Senator Payman is going through.
Faruqi says she did not encourage Payman to join the Greens:
There has been a denial of an agency. And again, again, that comes down to how Muslim women are stereotyped in this country. How they are boxed into this person who can’t make up their own minds. You know, that they are led by someone else – someone else forced them to do this. Someone else forced them or encouraged them to make a decision that they wholly made by themselves. Senator Payman, as far as I can see it, made this decision on her moral compass following her moral compass, listening to the community, and actually looking at what the situation in in Israel is at the moment. That’s it. And you know, I’m very proud of her as another Muslim woman for standing strong on her convictions.
Faruqi – in her first appearance on ABC Insiders – is repeatedly asked by host David Speers whether “Do the hostages needs to be released”” and “Do you think Hamas should dismantled?”
Faruqi has called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, and has made the point that the future of Hamas is a separate issue to Palestinian statehood and self determination.
Who will dismantle it? It is up to the people in Palestine and that region to make sure that people can live in peace, but I will say this again – at the moment, only some people in that region have the rights that every human deserves.
Faruqi says Hamas is listed as a terrorist organisation and the Greens have made no demands to change that designation.
Greens to continue pressure on government to recognise Palestinian state: Mehreen Faruqi
Deputy Greens leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi says the government is “kicking the can down the road” on recognition of a Palestinian state and that the Greens will continue to pressure the Labor government to “act in a way that actually makes a difference”.
We have a situation here where Israel who, and I will say that, who has slaughtered 40,000 Palestinians over the past nine months. And then we have the situation where Palestinians are being denied that same right. Let’s bring that to an equal footing. Then talk about peace. Let’s do something to stop the slaughter.
Indigenous excellence celebrated at NAIDOC awards
The achievements of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been recognised in the 2024 NAIDOC awards, including one women’s lifetime of advocating for the health of her people.
The awards, held each July and this year in Adelaide, recognise the contributions of First Nations people in their communities and celebrate Indigenous excellence.
They are presented by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.
Aunty Dulcie Flowers has spent her life advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health and has received the National Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her accomplishments.
Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney congratulated each of the winners, who were chosen from a field of 28 finalists.
This year’s theme, ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’, is fitting for all the winners. You are courageous, you are inspiring, and you are brilliant.
This NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to come together to celebrate 65,000 years of culture and shared history.
The NAIDOC person of the year is Aunty Muriel Bamblett, a Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Boon Wurrung Elder.
As the chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency since 1999, Bamblett has advocated for Indigenous children to be raised within their own culture.
– AAP
PM ‘didn’t overreact’ on Payman exit: Shorten
Daniel Hurst
Federal government services minister Bill Shorten has backed Anthony Albanese’s handling of caucus solidarity rules after the first-term senator Fatima Payman quit the Labor party.
Payman resigned from the party on Thursday, saying she was leaving with a heavy heart but a clear conscience after she viewed the government’s response to the bloodshed in Gaza with indifference. She had previously been suspended from Labor’s federal caucus after she warned she might cross the floor a second time to support immediate recognition of the state of Palestine.
Shorten, the minister for the NDIS and a former Labor leader, said in an interview on Sky News this morning:
I think the prime minister has tried to handle this in the very best way possible. He didn’t overreact. He hasn’t under reacted. I thought the suspension was the right way to go. It was saying: ‘you are welcome Fatima, and let’s give you a bit of time and space to work it through’. Clearly that’s not where her head was at – she’s walked. I don’t think there’s anything else the prime minister could have done, frankly.
Asked about reports that Payman had taken informal advice from the controversial political strategist Glenn Druery, Shorten said:
The Senate is littered with people who have taken advice from Glenn Druery. Sometimes they get up, ultimately they flame out. I’m not going to give Fatima Payman advice. I hoped that she wouldn’t leave – I’m disappointed, but that’s her call.
Mehreen Faruqi to appear on Insiders
Deputy Greens leader Mehreen Faruqi will be speaking to ABC Insiders host David Speers this morning.
Minister for government services Bill Shorten has appeared on Sky News this morning with the Coalition’s Bridget McKenzie also expected to appear.
We will bring you all the latest as it happens.
Alex de Minaur ‘relieved’ over easy Wimbledon ride
Alex de Minaur has declared he’s a lucky man after his comfy armchair ride into the second week of Wimbledon.
The Australia No 1 eased into the second week of the grass-court grand slam for just the second time, after needing just two straight-set wins and a walkover to get to the business end of the tournament.
While many rivals, including his fourth-round opponent Arthur Fils, were left with frustrating delays on another rain-interrupted day, de Minaur had the luxury of a relaxing Saturday once his third-round adversary Lucas Pouille withdrew with a stomach muscle injury.
De Minaur said he found out at about 9.15am when he was in the middle of his physical warm-up before going on-court, after the 30-year-old Pouille himself approached him to let him know he wasn’t fit to play.
I think it was a class act by him, letting me know early in the day, especially with the weather forecast showing it could be delayed for a long time.
I’m wishing him a quick recovery. And as for me, I’m probably a little bit relieved. Just because everyone knew the type of day that was coming, that it was going to be a long one and I was able to finish quite quickly.
– AAP
Albanese talks Aukus, energy transition and Gaza and Ukraine conflicts in call with Starmer
Karen Middleton
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has telephoned his incoming British Labour counterpart, Sir Keir Starmer, and congratulated him on what Albanese called “an emphatic victory” in Thursday’s election that saw the Tories swept from office in the United Kingdom.
Albanese told Starmer in the call on Saturday that he looked forward to working with the new British Labour government to grow both economies and advance the global transition to clean energy and the Aukus defence partnership.
Guardian Australia has been told the two leaders discussed the Middle East conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza and what was described as Russia’s “illegal and immoral” invasion of Ukraine.
Albanese and Starmer are understood to have been in regular contact in the lead-up to this week’s British election which saw Labour defeat the incumbent Conservative party in a landslide.
The leaders last met in person in London in May last year, when Albanese attended the coronation of King Charles and visited the Aukus submarine facility at Barrow-in-Furness.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has called his now counterpart, Keir Starmer, to congratulate him on his sweeping win at the UK election. Albanese told the newly elected Starmer on Saturday that he looked forward to working with him on Aukus and the transition to renewable energy.
The 2024 Naidocawards were held in Adelaide on Saturday night, marking the first major gathering of First Nations people since the voice referendum. Those recognised with awards include Indigenous elder Aunty Muriel Bamblett and Aunty Dulcie Flowers.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …