Latest news with #PWSS
Mint
7 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Australia's first hijab-wearing senator says senior asked her to 'drink, dance'; who is Fatima Payman?
Australia's Independent Senator Fatima Payman has lodged a formal complaint with a parliamentary watchdog after an older male colleague allegedly made sexually suggestive and culturally insensitive remarks to her during an official function. The Afghan-born senator, who made history as the first parliamentarian to wear a hijab in the Australian Senate, told national broadcaster ABC that the colleague had 'had too many drinks' when he made the remarks. 'He said: 'Let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table,'' Payman, 30, recounted. 'I told this colleague, 'Hey I'm drawing a line mate', and moved on to making a formal complaint.' Payman, who does not consume alcohol due to her Muslim faith, described the comment as not only inappropriate but isolating. She said she felt targeted for her cultural and religious beliefs during the incident. The complaint was filed with the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS), an independent body established following the fallout of the Brittany Higgins case in 2021, which exposed deep-rooted issues of sexual misconduct, bullying, and a culture of excessive drinking within Parliament House. In an interview with triple j Hack, Senator Payman said the PWSS responded swiftly and that she felt 'looked after and taken care of' throughout the process. Payman, previously a Labor senator, quit the party in 2024, criticising the government's response to the conflict in Gaza. She has since been vocal about parliamentary reform and the need to uphold respectful conduct, especially toward women and culturally diverse members. While Payman praised the PWSS process, other senators like Lidia Thorpe have criticised it for lacking transparency and effectiveness, calling for stronger enforcement mechanisms within the newly established Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
News.com.au
7 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘Wine into you': Muslim Senator Fatima Payman's shock claim about older, male MP
Independent Senator Fatima Payman has revealed the older male MP who allegedly made sexually suggestive comments to her at work 'wasn't Labor'. Ms Payman, who is Muslim and does not drink alcohol, claimed an older, male colleague told her 'let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table'. She alleged she was targeted at work when attending a social event as part of official parliamentary business. 'It wasn't Labor. I reported it to PWSS and they dealt with it,'' she told She hasn't explained if the man in question was from the Coalition or another party grouping such as an independent. PWSS is the Parliamentary Workplace Support Scheme that was set up in the wake of Brittany Higgins' allegations that Parliament did not have a standalone HR department to make complaints about workplace behaviour. 'I don't drink and I don't need to be made... to feel left out because you do,' she told ABC's Triple J radio station. 'I told this colleague, 'Hey, I'm drawing a line, mate', and moved on to making a formal complaint.' Senator Payman has argued that calling out inappropriate behaviour could help others. 'Being clear is being kind,' she said. 'You actually are helping somebody understand what your boundaries are by speaking up.' Payman slams 'big blokes' in Labor Party Senator Payman quit the ALP in July slamming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his chief of staff as 'two big blokes' who hauled her into a disciplinary meeting at the Lodge to suspend her from the ALP caucus without allowing her to bring a support person. She then joined forces with so-called preference whisperer Glenn Druery, bringing him in as her chief of staff in August last year. She was suspended indefinitely by the Prime Minister after she vowed to cross the floor again if necessary on the ABC Insiders program. 'It felt quite intimidating to be there with the Prime Minister and his chief of staff, you know, two big blokes, I guess, and just me,' she told ABC Radio National at the time. Unionists have long campaigned for the right of workers to bring a support person to employment meetings, but Senator Payman said this was not offered to her at the meeting despite Mr Albanese organising his own witness in the form of chief of staff Tim Gartrell. 'And at that meeting, he gave me the decision of being suspended indefinitely,' she said. 'And suggested that, you know, if I do not want to follow corporate solidarity and come back inside the tent, then I must consider giving up the position that the late that I got elected because the ALP was in front of my name, and that was his suggestion. 'And after leaving that meeting, I had to start thinking about my future and what's to come.'
News.com.au
7 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Fatima Payman alleges older colleague made sexually suggestive remark toward her at work event
Fatima Payman has alleged an older male parliamentary colleague targeted her with sexually suggestive and racial comments toward during a work-related social function. The Labor-turned-independent senator said the colleague 'had too many drinks' and made comments such as 'let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table.' In addition to being sexually suggestive, Senator Payman said the comments made her feel 'left out' as a Muslim. 'I don't drink and I don't need to be made … to feel left out because you do,' she told the ABC, referring to the colleague. 'It definitely wasn't appropriate.' Senator Payman said she 'told this colleague, 'Hey, I'm drawing a line, mate,'' before going on to lodge a formal complaint with the Parliamentary Workplace Support System. 'Being clear is being kind,' she said. 'You actually are helping somebody understand what your boundaries are by speaking up.' She did not reveal the outcome of that complaint but said she was happy with PWSS' 'swift' handling of the matter. 'Being looked after and taken care of by the Parliamentary Workplace (Support) Service was really, really good,' Senator Payman said.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
‘Let's see you dance on the table': Fatima Payman reports senior male parliamentary colleague over comments
Senator Fatima Payman has reported a male parliamentary colleague to the parliament's workplace complaints service, after claiming she was subjected to inappropriate comments at a function. The ABC's Triple J Hack program reported on Wednesday that Payman, the former Labor senator who now sits as an independent, had made a complaint about a senior colleague who 'had had too many drinks' and made comments such as 'let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table'. Hack reported that the complaint stems from a social function Payman attended as part of official parliamentary business, and characterised the alleged subject of the complaint as an 'older male parliamentary colleague'. Payman said she had made a formal complaint about the incident through the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The full interview is set to be broadcast on Wednesday evening. Guardian Australia has contacted Payman's office for comment, as well as the PWSS. Hack reported that Payman viewed the comments as sexually suggestive, as well as being insensitive due to her being a Muslim woman who did not consume alcohol. 'I don't drink and I don't need to be made … to feel left out because you do,' she said, according to Hack. 'I told this colleague, 'Hey, I'm drawing a line, mate', and moved on to making a formal complaint.' Payman, according to Hack, praised how the PWSS had dealt with her complaint in a 'swift' way. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'Being looked after and taken care of by the Parliamentary Workplace [Support] Service was really, really good,' she said. Payman, elected as a Labor senator for Western Australia in 2022, quit the party in 2024 after crossing the floor in the Senate to support a Greens motion – not backed by the Labor caucus – calling for recognition of Palestinian statehood. More details to follow
West Australian
7 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Fatima Payman alleges older colleague made sexually suggestive remark toward her at work event
Fatima Payman has alleged an older male parliamentary colleague targeted her with sexually suggestive and racial comments toward during a work-related social function. The Labor-turned-independent senator said the colleague 'had too many drinks' and made comments such as 'let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table.' In addition to being sexually suggestive, Senator Payman said the comments made her feel 'left out' as a Muslim. 'I don't drink and I don't need to be made … to feel left out because you do,' she told the ABC, referring to the colleague. 'It definitely wasn't appropriate.' Senator Payman said she 'told this colleague, 'Hey, I'm drawing a line, mate,'' before going on to lodge a formal complaint with the Parliamentary Workplace Support System. 'Being clear is being kind,' she said. 'You actually are helping somebody understand what your boundaries are by speaking up.' She did not reveal the outcome of that complaint but said she was happy with PWSS' 'swift' handling of the matter. 'Being looked after and taken care of by the Parliamentary Workplace (Support) Service was really, really good,' Senator Payman said.
