Australia's Voice Explained

Australia's Voice
Abbreviation:AV
Leader1 Title:Leader
Leader1 Name:Fatima Payman
Founder:Fatima Payman
Split:Labor
Ideology:Progressivism[1]
Position:Centre[2]
Colours: Maroon
Seats1 Title:House of Representatives
Seats2 Title:Senate
Country:Australia

Australia's Voice (AV) is an Australian political party founded in 2024 by independent senator Fatima Payman.[3] The party intends to contest every state in the Senate and multiple House of Representatives seats at the 2025 federal election.[4]

History

Party founder Fatima Payman was elected to the Senate in May 2022 on the Australian Labor Party (ALP) ticket for Western Australia. She sat with the party until resigning in July 2024 following her crossing the floor on a Senate resolution supporting Australian recognition of Palestinian statehood,[5] and subsequent caucus suspension.[6] [7] [8] She subsequently sat as an independent senator until 9 October 2024, when she announced the formation of Australia's Voice.

At a press conference launching the party, Payman stated that any elected AV MPs would be allowed conscience votes on any bill before parliament. Asked about the where the party sits within the overton window, Payman said: “The ideological spectrum of whether you sit on the left or right, this is not what we're talking about here. This is a party for all Australians. We're going to ensure that everyone is represented, whether it's the mums and dads who are trying to make and make ends meet, or the young students out there, or whether it's the grandparents who want to have, you know, dignity and respect as they age.” Payman stated that the party would advocate for "progressive reform" on issues such as housing, education, taxation and cost of living.[9]

The choice of the party's name was criticised by multiple Indigenous Australian leaders on the grounds the party had appropriated the name from the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, and had done so so close to the anniversary (14 October) of the unsuccessful 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.[10] [11] Uluru Dialogue co-chair Megan Davis criticised the name and timing as "extraordinarily insensitive", Uphold and Recognise chair Sean Gordon criticised the name as a "further attempt by the pro-Palestinian movement to leverage off the back of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people", and former Labor Senator Nova Peris stated the name "is breathtakingly disrespectful, and a complete misappropriation of yet another aspect of my people’s story and emblems". Payman stated she would make "no apologies" about the party name, that the word "voice" is "not trademarked", and she would not be changing it.[12] Payman also stated she was not concerned that the party name was similar to the defunct anti-Islam Australian Voice Party,[13] which was associated with her chief of staff, Glenn Druery.[14]

The party supports the immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood by Australia.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024-10-09 . Fatima Payman launches Australia's Voice party . 2024-10-09 . ABC News . en-AU.
  2. Web site: Fatima Payman says she 'doesn't see why' she should apologise for her new party's name . 2024-10-09 . SBS News . en.
  3. News: 9 October 2024 . Crowley . Tom . 9 October 2024 . Fatima Payman announces 'Australia's Voice' party with no policies . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20241009040020/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-09/fatima-payman-announces-party-without-policies/104449304 . 9 October 2024 .
  4. News: Remeikis . Amy . 9 October 2024 . Politics live: Payman says new political party Australia's Voice will be 'for the disenfranchised and the unheard' . 9 October 2024 . . . 0261-3077 .
  5. News: May . Natasha . Remeikis . Amy . 25 June 2024 . Australia politics live: Labor senator Fatima Payman crosses floor to support Greens' Palestine motion . 25 June 2024 . Guardian Australia . Guardian Media Group . 0261-3077 . 30 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240630071109/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/jun/25/australia-politics-live-vaping-ban-labor-greens-nuclear-power-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-question-time . live .
  6. News: Middleton . Karen . 30 June 2024 . Fatima Payman suspended from Labor caucus over vow to cross the floor again on Palestine . live . Guardian Australia . Guardian Media Group . https://web.archive.org/web/20240705155658/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/30/fatima-payman-defies-cold-shoulder-from-labor-colleagues-to-declare-she-would-cross-floor-again-on-palestine . 5 July 2024 .
  7. News: 4 July 2024 . Fatima Payman to quit Labor and become an independent . 4 July 2024 . ABC News . 4 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240704032059/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-04/fatima-payman-quits-labor-after-palestinian-vote-furore/104056278 . live .
  8. News: Butler . Josh . 4 July 2024 . Fatima Payman's decision to quit Labor party will 'empower opponents on far right', Wayne Swan says . 2024-07-04 . Guardian Australia . Guardian Media Group . 0261-3077 . 7 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240707013449/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/04/fatima-paymans-decision-to-quit-labor-party-will-empower-opponents-on-far-right-wayne-swan-says . live .
  9. News: Butler . Josh . 2024-10-09 . Fatima Payman launches new party, accusing Labor and Coalition of 'stranglehold over our democracy' . 2024-10-09 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  10. News: Taylor . Paige . Yim . Noah . 10 October 2024 . Indigenous leaders slam 'disrespectful' Fatima Payman's choice of party name, Australia's Voice . 10 October 2024 . . Nationwide News Pty Ltd.
  11. News: Lusted . Peter . 11 October 2024 . Uluru Statement architect Megan Davis says she was open to calling off Voice referendum . 12 October 2024 . ABC News.
  12. Web site: Fatima Payman says she 'doesn't see why' she should apologise for her new party's name . 2024-10-09 . SBS News . en.
  13. News: Remeikis . Amy . 2024-10-09 . Australia politics live: Chalmers warns of oil price spike from Middle East conflict; Albanese to meet Chinese premier . 2024-10-09 . the Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  14. News: Paul . Sakkal . Millie . Muroi . Payman's party shares name with anti-Islam party . The Sydney Morning Herald . 9 October 2024 . en.
  15. News: 2024-10-08 . Fatima Payman says 'Australia's Voice' will advocate for immediate recognition of Palestine . 2024-10-09 . ABC News . en-AU.

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