Newly Independent WA Senator Fatima Payman has hired so-called “preference whisperer” Glenn Druery as her chief of staff.
The appointment comes after the Senator quit Labor in July, to sit on the crossbench, citing the ALP’s “indifference” to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
It was reported last month that Ms Payman had first met Mr Druery at a meeting organised by members of the Muslim community prior to her quitting the ALP.
Mr Druery is a political operative nicknamed the “preference whispererer” for helping minor parties get candidates elected to the Federal Parliament.
On June 25, Senator Payman made national headlines when she crossed the floor of the Senate to support a motion by the Greens recognising the state of Palestine.
It was the first time any Labor politician had done so since 1998 and sparked a political firestorm in the process, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese banning her from Caucus meetings as punishment.
She said colleagues also gave her the cold shoulder for her decision to go against party rules and vote according to her conscience, rather than a party position agreed to by Caucus.
Days later, Senator Payman would tell The Sunday Times and the national media she could not promise the PM she would not defy him again on the issue.
Subsequently, on July 4, Senator Payman sensationally quit the ALP.
Senator Payman has maintained her decision to cross the floor – and afterwards quit the ALP – was solely hers.
Ms Payman said she had contacted Mr Druery to help her organise the July 4 media conference.
“He (Mr Druery) didn’t know I was resigning till that day,” Senator Payman told The West Australian.
Since quitting the ALP, Senator Fayman has been touring WA to get feedback on issues important to West Australians.
She has been accompanied on the WA road trip by her husband Jacob Stokes, who quit his job as a policy officer for WA Minister Stephen Dawson just a few weeks ago to support his wife.
On Sunday, she will head back to Canberra for a new parliamentary sitting – but as an independent senator.
She has previously discounted suggestions she would form a Muslim party.