Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reduced overall opposition staff numbers to just 17 per cent of those of the government. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
The newly-returned Anthony Albanese-led Government has been criticised by the Federal Opposition for reducing theirs and Cross-benchers’ senior staff numbers.
With Federal Parliament set to return to Canberra on 22 July for the first time since the election, the government has finalised the number of funded staffers and advisors for all new and returning MPs.
The Coalition will lose 20 of the 106 staff positions it held before the election, while Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has complained it has not been allocated its fair share of staffing positions.
The allocation of staffing numbers is done at the Prime Minister’s discretion, leading Shadow Special Minister of State James McGrath to describe Mr Albanese as “personally vindictive and nasty”, and the allocations as an “attack on accountability”.
The Prime Minister has also been accused of going against a long-standing convention that the number of opposition staff and advisor numbers are at least 20 per cent those assigned to the government, instead dropping those numbers to just 17 per cent.
The revised staff allocation will need to support the Coalition’s 30-member shadow ministry.
“The Australian people deserve an opposition that is resourced appropriately to be able to hold the government to account, especially during such a precarious and challenging time for our country,” McGrath said in a statement.
“Given Labor’s historically significant majority, this arrogant decision to diminish opposition resourcing comes at his government’s most powerful electoral moment, which is precisely the time our country needs a strong opposition.
“This substantial cut in head count significantly reduces the Opposition’s ability to conduct its work and keep this government accountable.”
Those allocations most affected are mostly senior personal staff and advisors who typically assist members and senators with policy development, political strategy and media.
While the Opposition claims the reduced numbers are politically motivated, Labor sources have said they are because of the Coalition’s reduced numbers in the house. Even Opposition Leader Sussan Ley conceded herself on Tuesday 24 June that the Coalition “didn’t just lose, we got smashed”.
The Prime Minister has also cut 10 of the government’s own positions, despite winning an increased margin and adding 21 more MPs and senators to his government than the last term. The government will now have 489 staff and advisors.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has effectively had its staff allocation halved, with just four positions funded despite the party doubling its representation on 3 March from two to four senators.
“Adequate staffing only applies if the Prime Minister doesn’t deem you a political threat,” Senator Hanson said.
“I will seek an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister in an effort to renegotiate the staff One Nation are allocated.”
In a statement to Guardian Australia, a government spokesperson said it was “routine practice to revise staff allocations in a new parliamentary term”.
“Staffing allocations are made based on a range of considerations, including demonstrated need and individual circumstances,” they said.
Mr Albanese was also criticised after his 2022 election win for cutting staff numbers from those allocated by previous Coalition governments, while increasing resourcing to the parliamentary library to provide greater resources and support for all MPs and senators.
At the time, One Nation and independents including Teals and the ACT’s David Pocock described the move as “extremely damaging” to the government’s relationship with the Crossbenches.
