Health Minister Mark Butler says the government remains focused on tackling the cost of living and rolling out its July 1 changes amid the worsening crisis over rogue Labor senator Fatima Payman.Payman was from the Labor caucus on Sunday, after giving an interview to ABC’s Insiders where she vowed to cross the floor again on future Greens’ motions to recognise Palestinian statehood. She since claimed she’s been “exiled” from the party.
Butler told Nine’s Today show that voting discipline is “something that people who vote for a Labor Party Senate candidate expect”.“It reflects long-standing principles that shouldn’t come as a surprise to either Senator Payman or anyone watching this show this morning. That’s how the Labor Party has operated for 100 years.”While Butler would like Payman to rejoin the team, he said she would have to “respect other members of the team and agree to abide by the decisions we make collectively”.