PM Offered New MP Extra Staff

The Australian government offered a new Member of Parliament a paid staff position that the politician never asked for.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of using taxpayer funds to exert undue political influence over David Farley. The party stated on social media that the extra role would cost up to $200,000 in salary. Hanson claimed the offer fell outside any existing staff request made by her party. She noted that no reason was provided for the provision of the staff member.

A member of the prime minister's team hand-delivered a letter to Farley's office in Canberra on Monday. The document authorized the MP for the New South Wales electorate of Farrer to hire an additional employee. Hanson said Albanese and Farley had also met privately over recent weeks. The prime minister initiated those meetings, according to the party statement.

Farley rejected the offer but did not rule out joining the Labor party. Speaking to News24 on Thursday, he said he chose One Nation because the party displayed political courage and tenacity. He stated that he still has that support behind him. He described his mandate as very clear and defined.

Albanese addressed staffing allocations on Thursday morning. He mentioned that former Labor senator Fatima Payman, who now sits as an independent, holds one more staff member than she had before leaving the party. He did not answer questions about whether it is appropriate for the prime minister to control taxpayer-funded staffing allocations for all MPs. Payman has previously called for more funding for her office.

Last month, Hanson stood with independents Dai Le and Payman to demand consistent staffing resources. She said the prime minister should not personally control resources available to political opponents. Hanson argued that this power has been weaponized to an unprecedented extent under the current Labor government. The party decided to make the matter public so voters could see what was happening behind closed doors.

The prime minister's office was contacted for comment.