In short:
One Nation has accused Anthony Albanese of political meddling after one of its MPs rejected an unsolicited offer of a $200,000 staffer.
asserted
one → accuse → staffer
The dispute has intensified scrutiny of the prime minister's power to allocate parliamentary resources.
What's next?
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What → intensify → resources
Pauline Hanson says the current system is "grubby" and wants an independent body to set staffing levels.
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body → say → levels
One Nation has accused Anthony Albanese of trying to use his power to set parliament staffing levels to divide the party after the prime minister offered new MP David Farley extra resources.
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minister → accuse → resources
The Farrer MP received a letter from Mr Albanese this week authorising him to hire an additional staffer on a $200,000 salary package, an "unsolicited" offer that Mr Farley has rejected.
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Farley → receive → that
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has criticised the offer as an attempt by Labor to "exert undue political influence" and split her party, which is in the middle of a broader staffing dispute with Mr Albanese.
"We won't be bought or divided by this prime minister,"Senator Hanson said.
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Hanson → criticise → Albanese
Staffing levels have emerged as a significant point of contention between some crossbenchers and Mr Albanese, who has ignored calls to increase the resources provided to some independents and One Nation.
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who → emerge → independents
All parliamentarians are granted five electorate officers, but the power to decide additional personal staff levels is held by the prime minister.
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power → grant → minister
It is understood the extra staff position offered to Mr Farley was the same as the allocation provided to fellow One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce when he quit the Nationals and moved to the crossbench.
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he → understand → crossbench
Both parliamentarians are in the lower house and have geographically large regional electorates.
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parliamentarians → have → electorates
Hanson says staffing power 'open to abuse'
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power → say → abuse
In statement today, Senator Hanson said the staff offer made to Mr Farley showed the system was "grubby".
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system → say → Farley
"This is the type of politics that Australians are sick of," she said.
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she → say → that
Senator Hanson has repeatedly asked Mr Albanese to let her hire more staff since One Nation achieved minor party status in the wake of Mr Joyce's defection.
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Nation → ask → defection
"For months, One Nation has been fighting for fair, transparent and objective allocation of staffing for parliamentarians," she said.
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she → fight → parliamentarians
Senator Hanson has called for staffing levels to be determined by an independent body.
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levels → call → body
"While this power has always been open to abuse, it has, in our view, been weaponised to an unprecedented extent under this Labor government and this prime minister," she said.
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she → weaponise → government
Senator apologises for 'clumsy' Haines comment
Earlier this week, independent West Australian senator Fatima Payman revealed she had apologised to Indi MP Helen Haines for her "clumsy wording" in relation to a staffing stoush with Labor.
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she → apologise → Labor
During a Senate estimates hearing on Monday night, Senator Payman suggested Mr Albanese was waiting for her to suffer an attack similar to Ms Haines before he would grant extra staff.
uncertain
he → suggest → staff
Senator Payman refused to withdraw the comment at the time, which was described by Special Minister of State Don Farrell as an "outrageous statement".
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which → refuse → statement
But yesterday, Senator Payman confirmed she had contacted Ms Haines, who is in hospital recovering from a double amputation after an alleged attack last week, to clarify her remarks.
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who → confirm → remarks
"I have apologised for my clumsy wording on Monday night, and I have conveyed those apologies directly to Dr Haines and her staff," Senator Payman said.
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Payman → apologise → Haines
She maintained her need for additional staff, noting the "toll" on her current team of staff.
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She → maintain → staff
Crossbench unites in staffing push
Last month, Senator Hanson, Senator Payman and independent Fowler MP Dai Le teamed up
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Hanson → team → push
to criticise what they described as "unfair" staffing double standards for some crossbenchers
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they → criticise → crossbenchers
The trio called on Mr Albanese to provide a "fair" number of staff and later moved a motion attempting to strip him of the personal power to decide personnel allocations.
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trio → call → allocations
Data from May this year showed Senator Payman was the only independent in parliament who did not have any additional personal staff allocated.
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staff → show → parliament
Ms Le had one extra staff member, as did independent Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele and United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet.
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Boele → have → member
The remainder of the crossbench independents have two personal staff, except Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, who has three.
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who → have → three
The Greens, who have one MP and 10 senators, have 15 personal staff.
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who → have → staff
One Nation, which has two MPs and four senators, has five additional staff.
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which → have → staff
The Aporia
