Independent Senator Fatima Payman and her husband Jacob Stokes are expecting a baby girl in May. Senator Payman will be the first Western Australian Senator to give birth while serving in her role.
She plans to cease travel to Canberra from Easter and will not return until it is safe for the baby to fly. Despite this, she intends to maintain her current workload.
Senator Payman has requested additional staff from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to support her work, citing current under-resourcing. She states that her current allocation of five full-time staff is insufficient compared to other crossbench colleagues, who have six or seven. This request follows an ongoing dispute with the Prime Minister regarding electorate office staffing levels since her departure from the Labor party in 2024.
Her husband, Jacob Stokes, who left his position as a Labor staffer after Senator Payman's exit from the party, will provide support, along with their mothers, after the baby's birth.
Senator Payman acknowledged her position on a list of MPs with high family travel expenses, stating it was "not great" and would need to be considered for future travel. She noted that Parliament House, as a workplace, has improved for new mothers, referencing discussions about women not having to choose between career and family.