The WA first time Senator who spectacularly defected from Labor just months ago has announced what was an open secret to many political pundits – her launching of a new political party. The party is named ‘Australia’s Voice’ and the senator launching her party on Wednesday October 9 announced it will run candidates in every upper house seat in all states at the next election.
Not surprisingly, there is not yet a single policy platform or issue or candidate finalized. Early days.
Senator Fatima Payman, launching the party said:
“I announce the formation of Australia’s Voice. A new political party for the disenfranchised, the unheard, and those yearning for real change.”
On what the party would stand for, she said:
“The policy platform will come in time, and I’m very excited to publicly announce the course.”
When a reporter persisted, she added:
“All you have to do is look back at a few of my speeches since becoming an independent. Whether that’s negative gearing capital gains tax in terms of housing affordability, or whether it’s looking at our aged care reform bills, or whether it’s looking at early childhood education, making sure that parents and families are able to put food on the table while ensuring their kids get good education.”
On who the candidates would be, came a quick reply:
“We are not ruling out anyone, again, Australia’s Voice is for each and every person, and we welcome candidates.”
Senator Payman was asked who financing Australia’s Voice.
“I’m open to donations, I haven’t had those conversations just yet. We’ve been focusing on the launch of the party. But I’m open to having these conversations.”
Senator Payman’s supporters applauded her defection, but in reality, her personal vote at the last election was minuscule – just 0.11 per cent. Of the group total 527,319 votes for the Labor party in WA, senator Payman received 1681 votes. Senator Sue Lines, at position one received 11,913 votes while another Labor senator Glenn Sterle only managed to receive 1285 votes, almost 400 (396) less than Fatima Payman.
Fatima Payman says she’s spent months consulting, planning to run upper house candidates in each state, and considering the lower house. She went on to say her party may even take on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. When asked by a reporter, she said:
“it’s all on the table.“
The name, Australia’s Voice, raises some concerns due to its similarity to the name of the Voice to Parliament. But it will all ‘come out in the wash’ as they say,
But Senator Payman is adamant she has consulted with First Nations leaders.
“We’ve consulted with First Nations people. We’ve consulted with elders from that community who actually feel like the current government is not representing them” she told the media.
When pressed to name the First Nations people/elders consulted, she could not name anyone, claiming those conversations were private.
It will be interesting to see who her candidates are. Is she going to only select people who have the same position on war in Gaza?
Fatima Payman says her party would offer “something different” to voters who felt “left behind” by the major parties.
“This is more than a party. It is a movement for a fairer, more inclusive Australia,” she told a press conference. Walking both sides of the fence, she even quoted both former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam and former Liberal prime minister Robert Menzies.
“Together we will hold our leaders accountable and ensure that your voice, Australia’s voice, will never be silenced.”
The party has been registered with the Australian Electoral Commission and will run candidates in both houses.
This whole thing bears an uncanny resemblance to the political career of what was the Indian community’s rising star in 2018 – Ms Kaushaliya Vaghela MLC, who was also elected to the upper house on Labor party’s ticket. Like Fatima Payman, whose picture with the Labor leader Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were widely shared and circulated, Kaushaliya Vaghela was also seemingly close to the then towering Labor leader, Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews. Like Kaushaliya Vaghela-Daniel Andrews public falling out, Fatima Payman-Anthony Albanese falling out has been anything but private affair confined to the party.
Like Ms Vaghela who formed her own party – New Democratic Party, Fatima Payman has of course come with – Australia’s Voice.
Fatima Payman would perhaps pray to the Almighty that the parallels stop just there. Sadly, for the Victorian Indian community Ms Vaghela taking on her former party at the last state election did not bear any fruit. Like Fatima Payman, Ms Vaghela also ran candidates in both houses. Although her efforts should be applauded, it is almost certain the financial costs were telling, thus debilitating. To take on political infrastructures Labor and Liberal or even the Greens, one must have deep pockets. The question is who will finance Australia’s Voice?
Also read: Kaushalia Vaghela – victim or a factional casualty?
Fatima Payman so far has said she is yet to have those conversations.
The Conservative commentators have already unleashed on her on funding the party. Cameron Milner GXO Strategies Director, talking to Andrew Bolt on Sky News, said: “She will now have to rule out getting political funding and sponsorship from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas”.
“She’s a political amateur, a political fraud you could argue,” former New South Wales Labor Treasurer Michael Costa said on the same program.
“I’m sure that you’re going to see this thing disappear very, very quickly”, he added.
The survival of Australia’s Voice will no doubt depend on who her financial backers are. Naming the party as Australia’s Voice is bound to pick up some ‘donkey vote’ at the next election. It also has avoided being seen in proximity with the Muslim Vote which was expected by many, including this masthead. The name and the Senator’s performance suggests the target is the mainstream and First Nations disgruntled vote. Keeping away from the faith label suggest the Greens vote as well.
If that is all there is to Australia’s Voice, then the Senator has missed the mark and will be consigned to the political history of Australia at the next election proving Michael Costa right. Many have tried this tack before – remember the Democrats ‘Keeping the bastards honest’? or the Family First? Palmer’s United Australia Party? Or the charismatic Nick Xenophon’s attempt to go national?
Is Senator Payman modelling herself on Jacqui Lambie’s political outfit? I do not think so.
The million-dollar question is – why would a non-faith-based interest group fund Senator Payman and not any of the other predecessors listed above? Given the way Senator Payman came to prominence, crossing the floor on Gaza, she will be a major attraction for faith-based / religious groups to reach out.
If history is any guide, political parties can get the best of talent but fall short on funding to convince voters on the polling day. One has to then only ask – will she recalibrate or be prepared to walk into the dustbins of Australia’s political history?