Albanese rubbishes NATO meeting criticism; Coalition adopt supermarket divestiture policy

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to reports that renegade Labor senator Fatima Payman is on the brink of leaving the party, as she takes advice on the next steps from controversial election strategist Glenn Druery.

Druery is a political operative known as “the preference whisperer” for his success in securing seats for upper house independents and minor party candidates.

In an exclusive report, the Herald and The Age’s James Massola and Paul Sakkal revealed Druery is also in talks with an alliance of Muslim groups, who have thrown their support behind Payman following her decision last Tuesday to cross the floor to vote with the Greens on the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Loading

The alliance plans to run candidates against half-a-dozen Labor MPs in the lower house and the Senate.

Albanese responded to the reports in an interview with ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday night, saying “it’s not acceptable” for Payman to be speaking with operatives aimed at unseating Labor MPs, “which is why Senator Payman has been suspended from participation in the Caucus”.

Albanese maintained that Payman would be welcomed back to the caucus if she re-committed to voting with the party, but noted her decision to enter talks with the alliance of Muslim groups was “unfortunate”.

“If you want to actually create change in whatever direction, you need to be part of a party of government,” Albanese said.

“Senator Payman had the privilege of being elected as a member of a party of government. And it’s a pity that she has chosen not to participate as a team member. At no stage has there been anything raised in the Caucus by Senator Payman, for example, about our policy on the Middle East.”