Senator Fatima Payman is not only one of the most productive members of parliament, but also courageous.

As such, this conversation is all about how to be brave and courageous, even in the quieter moments and when the fear is present and inescapable.

Born in Afghanistan, Senator Payman migrated to Perth with her family in 2003, studied pharmacy, and became president of Young Labor WA. In 2022, at just 27, she was elected as a Western Australian Senator for Labor, becoming one of the youngest senators in history and the first member of parliament to wear a hijab. 

Senator Payman crossed the floor in June 2024 over the Albanese Government’s Gaza response, seeing her indefinitely suspended from the Labor caucus. She quit the Labor party to sit as an independent. 

In January this year, Senator Payman announced she is expecting her first child in May. She will become the first Western Australian Senator to have a baby in office. 

This conversation was recorded in Januaray and some things may have changed. It also follows a piece Senator Fatima Payman penned as part of a collection of essays called A Time for Bravery: What Happens When Australia Chooses Courage? published by Australia Institute Press.

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