Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on independent senator Fatima Payman to be “upfront” about her plans, as he expresses frustration about her claiming she did not make a choice until yesterday.
Taking a question on the pro-Palestine protesters who climbed on top of Parliament House, Albanese said it achieved nothing and was “completely self-indulgent”, linking it to the protesters outside electorate offices.
Pro-Palestine protesters at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“I don’t think [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu is thinking, ‘I wonder what’s happening outside the electoral office … before I make decisions’,” he said.
“It’s just a completely indulgent.”
Albanese then shifted to defending the Labor Party’s diversity and inclusiveness.
“We are a party that is inclusive,” Albanese said, naming Jewish Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Muslim Industry Minister Ed Husic as examples.
“I led the first two members, first and second, sworn in this term on the Qur’an. We have people of diverse backgrounds,” he said.
“… But part of being part of the team is just that – being part of the team.
“[However], when the worst-kept secret in Parliament House is that … you start prepping for a Thursday question-time press conference, I know that there’ll be people here, they didn’t prep yesterday morning, because it was out there for all to see that it was going to happen and that’s fine.
“But just be upfront about it.”