Teal MPs show independence by fundraising for extra staff

Teals are fundraising for extra personnel after Anthony Albanese refused to increase their staffing cap, with some leaving the door open to funds from donors including Climate 200.

Independent MP Zali Steggall has hired an extra staff member to support her with parliamentary business. Picture: Gary Ramage

Teals are fundraising for extra personnel after Anthony Albanese refused to increase their staffing cap earlier this year, with some leaving the door open to accepting funds from major donors including Climate 200 to fill gaps in their offices.

One independent, Curtin MP Kate Chaney, said she did not think it “reasonable to expect communities to fundraise for what are clearly public service roles”.

“At this stage I’ll continue making the best of the resources available, but it is worth noting that despite having 25 per cent more constituents and greater communications expectations than in 2007, electorate office staffing levels haven’t changed,” she told The Australian.

Labor in June revealed crossbenchers would receive one adviser on top of their four electorate office staff, down from four under the previous government.

Warringah independent MP Zali Steggall slammed the decision and revealed in August she would fundraise for extra staff.

Zoe Daniel. Picture: Gary Ramage

Ms Steggall confirmed to The Australian that since then, she had been able to hire an extra staff member to support her with parliamentary business.

Goldstein independent MP Zoe Daniel revealed she had already hired someone as a Digital and Communications Officer from funds raised through her campaign organisation set up before the election.

Kooyong independent MP Monique Ryan said she would “certainly” be looking at fundraising for extra staff.

“I have an email database of people who were engaged in my election campaign and other ­people registered on that data base in the last four to five months and I’ll probably let them know we’re starting to fundraise,” she said.

“I’d have to fundraise through the financial body in my campaign, Kooyong Independents. I will approach major donors.”

Dr Ryan said she “wasn’t sure” whether she would talk to Climate 200, but left the door open to talking to donors whose “values aligned with my own”.

She raised concerns with current staffing levels that were “unsustainable”, given some staff were working more than 70 hours a week. “It’s not healthy. I think it’s only a matter of time before we have a poor outcome with one of our staff members,” she said.

Monique Ryan. Picture: Martin Ollman

Independent MP for North Sydney Kylea Tink said she was “looking to grow our team with community support”, while Mackellar independent MP Sophie Scamps said she would discuss how to expand staffing levels with her team and explore “raising private funds” if required.

It follows a review of the Members of Parliament Act last week, which Dr Scamp said had made clear current staffing levels were “inadequate and having an adverse impact on the wellbeing and mental health of employees and volunteers working in electorate offices”.

The Australian understands the notion of fundraising for extra staff has prompted concern from within the major parties, with senior Coalition sources questioning by whom such staff would technically be employed.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance said any employment arrangement made outside of the MOP(s) Act was “a matter for the individual parliamentarian”.

It comes as deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley rejected calls within the Coalition to abandon once-heartland electorates to independents as she prepared to campaign on Thursday in North Sydney.

“Basic maths tells you if the Liberal Party doesn’t win seats from the independents, we don’t form a majority government – and today we take the first step in our efforts to win back the trust of the people we’ve lost,” she said.