Albanese angers independents by slashing their advisers

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended a staffing decision which unified the likes of Pauline Hanson, Adam Bandt and Jacqui Lambie in anger.

Cuts to personal staffing levels provided to independents, the Greens and other minor parties have been defended by Anthony Albanese, who says he made the decision from a place of “fairness”.

The Prime Minister said sacrifices had been made “across the board” to rein in use of public funds, including a $1.5 million cut to how much the Labor Government will spend on its staff compared to the previous Morrison Government.

Warringah MP Zali Steggall, One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson and Greens leader Adam Bandt were among a unified chorus of voices from the crossbench who criticised Mr Albanese’s decision to cut the number of personal staff offered to each office from four down to one.

With the usual four electorate staff allocated to each MP or Senator, that would mean crossbench offices have five staff total going forward.

Mr Albanese said one personal adviser per member of parliament had been the norm until 2017, when the number offered specifically to the crossbench was gradually increased to four by the Coalition.

Independent Zali Steggall criticised the cuts. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

As did One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“Labor wasn’t a part of those arrangements and aren’t aware of what the transaction details were,” he said.

Mr Albanese said he was personally “surprised” to learn of the difference between staffing allocations to crossbench politicians compared to backbench government or opposition MPs.

“(The) issue is one of fairness and equity,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the complaints raised publicly by the crossbench were at odds with his own private conversations with many members.

He said he would continue to talk with the crossbench “constructively” and considering their needs.

Since the staffing allocation was announced on Friday, ACT Senator David Pocock and Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie warned they would struggle to lend their potentially crucial votes to bills in the Senate.

Anthony Albanese in front of a packed crowd at Marrickville Town Hall on June 23. Picture: Supplied

Labor has 26 senators out of 76, meaning they government needs the support of either the Coalition or the 12 Greens senators plus one member of the Senate crossbench to pass legislation.

The Greens, One Nation, Jacqui Lambie and independent MPs accused Anthony Albanese of launching a “joint attack” in the crossbench after he slashed their personal staffing allocations to save public funds.

The Prime Minister wrote to the crossbench on Friday to advise MPs and senators in addition to their four electorate office staff they would get only one adviser.

Previously Scott Morrison allowed crossbenchers to have four advisers but Labor sources said this was far more than necessary and often above what senior opposition offices were given.

In a joint statement One Nation senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts, independent David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrell from the Jacqui Lambie Network slammed Mr Albanese’s decision as a “direct attack on democracy”.

Independent Senator David Pocock co-signed a statement describing the cuts as “an attack on democracy”. Picture: Martin Ollman

“It flies in the face of earlier remarks from the Prime Minister that he was hoping for a more collaborative term of parliament, where members and senators from across party lines come together to genuinely improve conditions in Australia,” the statement from the senators said.

“This (staff) cut will only deteriorate conditions in parliament, and make it impossible for crossbench senators to carefully interrogate legislation.”

A spokesman for the Greens said the party had also suffered a cut to staffing levels as a result of the directive from Mr Albanese.

“It is unbelievable and so short-sighted that the government would cut crossbench staff when the public has just delivered the biggest crossbench representation ever,” he said.

“The Greens have experienced a staffing cut in real terms with no increase in overall staffing despite a major increase in numbers of Greens Parliamentarians.”

Independent MP Zali Steggall and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: Kym Smith

Independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall said Mr Albanese had shown a “disregard” for the third of Australians who voted for independents and minor parties.

“Anthony Albanese has shown a damning display of poor judgement today with a drastic proposal that personal staff for crossbenchers be cut from four to just one,” she said.

One senior Labor source said the decision brought staffing allocations in line with community expectations of public spending, noting under the Morrison government some members of the crossbench had more advisers than opposition shadow ministers did.

In a statement a Labor spokesman said the allocation of MOP(S) Act staff was “reviewed and re-allocated following every election”.

“In recognition of the enlarged crossbench, the Government intends to increase resources of the Parliamentary Library which all parliamentarians can use for information, advice, research and analysis of legislation,” he said.