Fatima Payman has appointed Glenn Druery as her chief of staff, as the political strategist and so-called “preference whisperer” suggests the newly independent senator could become the next Senate powerbroker.
Druery’s involvement with Payman was revealed in July, between the Western Australian senator crossing the floor to vote for a Greens motion in the Senate to recognise Palestine and her decision to quit Labor to sit on the crossbench.
Druery told Guardian Australia he admired Payman’s “conviction” and had helped her because “it became apparent she didn’t really have anybody else aside from family and close friends”.
“The decisions to do what she did were entirely hers,” he said. “I’ve offered support as it’s been asked for.
“Senator Payman is very focused on her new role as independent senator for WA.
“As chief of staff … I will be there to help her through this machiavellian maze that is the parliament.
“It can be a whirling dervish of stress at times. It can be very rewarding when you are part of helping people, doing good things, but it can be a battle at times.”
In addition to the Greens, the Albanese government is being targeted by new groups including the Muslim Vote and Muslims Votes Matter hoping voters will punish Labor for not doing more to denounce Israel’s military action in Gaza in response to the 7 October Hamas attack.
Payman, whose Senate term does not expire until 2028, has spoken with those groups, leading to speculation that she could campaign for others hoping to enter the parliament at the 2025 election.
Druery did not rule out Payman helping to elect other candidates, but said “if, in the future, the senator does decide she wants to get involved in a political party, my advice would be to stay away from any party with a religious base”.
“In electoral terms that will just not work.”
Asked how Payman might broaden her appeal beyond advocacy on the Palestinian occupied territories, Druery noted she had “just finished driving thousands of kilometres from south to north of WA”, visiting 12 towns in 12 days.
“She spent time, in particular, talking to farmers, including those who are going to be impacted by recent changes to livestock exports. There is a human tragedy there in many of these small towns.
“She was talking to local councillors and mayors, people on the ground. They’ll have someone in Senator Payman who will fight and work hard for their community.”
Druery said that “putting political philosophy aside” the senators he thought best represented their states were Brian Harradine, who served as a senator for Tasmania from 1975 to 2005, and Nick Xenophon, senator for South Australia from 2008 to 2017.
“Before too long we’ll be adding senator Fatima Payman to that list.”
Despite that bullish assessment of Payman’s prospects as a Senate powerbroker, Harradine and Xenophon held the balance of power in eras with a smaller crossbench and, therefore, fewer avenues for the government to pass legislation.
In the current Senate, Labor requires either the Coalition opposition, or the Greens and three more crossbench votes to pass legislation.
The rest of the crossbench consists of two One Nation senators, the United Australia party’s Ralph Babet, Payman, the ex-Liberal David Vann, the ex-Green Lidia Thorpe, Jacqui Lambie, David Pocock and Tammy Tyrrell.
Although Payman’s exit has weakened Labor in the Senate, Tyrrell’s exit from Lambie’s party in March has further splintered the crossbench, creating multiple pathways for the government to reach 39 votes.
