Anthony Albanese’s frustrations with young Western Australian senator Fatima Payman were palpable in an interview meant to sell his government’s tax cuts and cost-of-living relief.

Instead, it was derailed by her defiance of Labor Party team rules.

Albanese, like other senior ministers, had their media appearances dominated not by the government’s response to voters’ hip-pocket pain but by Payman’s declaration she would not be constrained on responding to the plight of Palestinians.

Payman went on weekend television to announce she would cross the floor again and vote with the Greens and crossbench “if the recognition on the state of Palestine was to be brought forward tomorrow”.

Rules in place

Labor candidates all sign up to obeying a rule that binds them to supporting on the floor of Parliament positions adopted by a majority of the caucus after internal debate and discussion.

Senator Payman not only did not participate in a discussion last week when the party room decided to amend a Greens motion on recognition of Palestine, making that recognition part of a peace process.

But she abstained from voting for it and instead supported the minor party’s unconditional statement.

This contradicts the Senator’s Sunday morning claim she was merely supporting Labor policy, whereas the party platform ties recognition in with achieving a two-state solution. This was the amendment Senator Penny Wong put to the caucus and which was accepted.

‘Part of the team’

Albanese told ABC radio that the senator signed up to being part of the team and she “wasn’t elected to the Senate because a quarter of a million West Australians put a No.1 next to her name.”

No, she was No.3 on the Labor ticket and thanks to the swing to the party in Western Australia at the election she was a bonus Senate win, giving her a six-year term.

In her Insiders interview Payman said the Labor Party was bigger than the caucus and she had received “overwhelming” support from around the country from rank-and-file party members.

Maybe so, but anger was at boiling point in the parliamentary party and the Prime Minister, who had been internally criticised for merely suspending Payman for one week from caucus, on Sunday afternoon made that suspension indefinite.

Exile hits home

On Monday afternoon the reality of her “sin binning” hit home. Payman put out a statement saying she had been “exiled” and “lost contact with my caucus colleagues”.

“I have been removed from caucus meetings, committees, internal group chats and whips bulletins.”

The government insists “a suspension is a suspension – it’s not an exile.”

But Payman says she will “abstain from voting on Senate matters” but she adds ominously, “unless a matter of conscience arises where I will uphold the true values and principles of the Labor Party”.

This is the very formula she used for crossing the floor.

Time to reflect

Payman is now going to use her time “to reflect” on her future and the best way to represent the people of WA in light of her belief some members of the caucus “are attempting to intimidate me into resigning from the Senate”.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher earlier was looking forward to welcoming back Payman into caucus, saying she’s been a good colleague and acknowledging “she’s a fantastic politician”.

The Sunday morning interview was testimony to this on two counts: She’s articulate and clearly knows that going to the brink is a sure-fire way to grab attention.

But her belligerence is not to be missed.

Greens capitalise

Greens leader Adam Bandt says “Labor is putting more pressure on Senator Payman than they are on Benjamin Netanyahu”

A message the Greens clearly believe will resonate in seats with big numbers of Muslim and Arab voters, such as Wills in inner Melbourne where Labor’s Peter Khalil seat is in their sights.

He says he has long been on the record supporting a Palestinian state and Senate motions from the Greens have no material impact.

Khalil says the Greens and Payman by voting against the Labor amendment are refusing to “commit to a two-state solution”.

Danger ahead

The Liberals are demanding Albanese expel Payman from the party for her antisemitism and accuse him of being “weak” for not doing so.

Clearly the Opposition is not interested in the same voters the Greens are targeting.

RedBridge pollster Kos Samaras sees big danger ahead for Labor depending on how the Payman episode plays out.

His organisation has interviewed dozens of young Australian Muslim women, all born here.

Samaras says they have all suffered “social abuse throughout their lives” and when they attempt to speak up, “the society where they were born into, grew up in, and now raise their own children in demands their silence”.

Samaras says Labor will need to bring it’s a-game to the next election in its “diverse electorates because they may indeed be on fire”.

Paul Bongiorno AM is a veteran of the Canberra Press Gallery, with more than 40 years’ experience covering Australian politics