Fatima Payman Files Complaint Against Parliamentary Colleague for Inappropriate Remarks: An Insight into Australian Politics

Senator Fatima Payman has reported a male parliamentary colleague to the parliament’s workplace complaints service after claiming she was subjected to improper comments at an event. Payman, previously a Labor senator and now an independent, made a complaint about a senior colleague who had consumed too much alcohol and made suggestive comments such as, “let’s get some wine into you and see you dance on the table.” Payman, a Muslim woman who does not drink alcohol, perceived the comments as both sexually suggestive and insensitive. She took the initiative to formally complain to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service and praised their prompt and supportive handling of her case. Payman, who served as a Labor senator for Western Australia before resigning in 2024 after supporting a Greens motion on Palestinian statehood not backed by the Labor party, commented positively on the service’s response to her complaint. More details on the story are to follow.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/28/fatima-payman-reports-comments-male-parliamentary-colleague-ntwnfb