Fatima Payman, a Muslim senator in Australia, has filed a complaint with a parliamentary committee after a male colleague reportedly made an inappropriate comment during an official event.

Senator Payman, who is 30 years old and does not drink alcohol, shared that the incident happened after the colleague "had too many drinks." According to her, the older male lawmaker said to her:
 "Let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table."

Payman told Australia’s ABC News "I told this colleague, 'Hey I'm drawing a line mate', and moved on to making a formal complaint."

The time and identity of the person involved have not been disclosed.

Payman was born in Afghanistan and made history as the first senator to wear a hijab in the Australian parliament. She entered politics as a member of the Labor Party but left in 2024, saying the party did not do enough to support Palestinians in Gaza.

This incident comes amid growing concerns over workplace behaviour in Australian politics. In 2021, former staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she was sexually assaulted by a colleague inside parliament. A later review revealed problems such as heavy drinking, bullying, and harassment within the parliamentary environment.

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