Albanese offered new One Nation MP extra staff, party claims

One Nation has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of using public funds to influence its newest member of parliament. The party alleges the government offered MP David Farley an additional staffer, a move Hanson describes as an attempt to exert political control.

Party leader Pauline Hanson stated that the offer was not part of a prior request made by One Nation. She claimed the extra position would cost taxpayers up to $200,000 in salary. Hanson noted that no reason was provided for the allocation and that it fell outside the party's existing staff requests.

Reports indicate that a member of the prime minister's team hand-delivered a letter to Farley's office in Canberra on Monday. The letter authorized the MP for the Farrer electorate in New South Wales to hire another staff member. Hanson said she made the issue public because voters deserved to know about these behind-the-scenes actions.

Farley has rejected the additional staff offer. He told News24 on Thursday that he chose One Nation for its political courage and tenacity. He stated that he feels he still has that support behind him and holds a clear mandate from his constituents.

Hanson said One Nation has campaigned for months for a transparent method of allocating staff. She argued that the prime minister refused to respond to their calls for objectivity. The party leader said the current system allowed for abuse, which she believes has been weaponized under the current Labor government.

Albanese was questioned about staffing allocations on Thursday morning. He referenced former Labor senator Fatima Payman, who now sits as an independent. He stated that Payman has one more staff member than she did before leaving the party. He did not answer questions about whether it is appropriate for the prime minister to control funding for MPs across parliament.

In September, Hanson joined independents Dai Le and Payman to demand consistent resources. She said the prime minister should not personally control resources available to his opponents. The prime minister's office was contacted for comment on the matter.