Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. People in my electorate of Mackellar are concerned about recent media reports that allege the government offered the coalition more personal staff in exchange for their support of the controversial Freedom of Information Amendment Bill. To avoid a perceived conflict of interest, will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring personal staff allocations for non-government parliamentarians are decided by an independent body, rather than awarded at the discretion of the prime minister of the day?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for her question. When I became Prime Minister, I was somewhat surprised to hear that, under the Morrison government, members of the crossbench had double the number of staff of members of the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the National Party. They had double. With respect, I'm not sure what those arrangements were, but they were double. Not only did the Morrison government not report that or come to the dispatch box; they were pretty quiet up in that corner about it too. They were pretty quiet about it up in that corner.

I thought it was a bit unreasonable that people who were side-by-side in electorates such as Bennelong, which is next to the three seats that are now occupied by Independents, should have half the staff and that the people of Bennelong should get the capacity for half the representation of people who were Independents. I just thought that failed the commonsense test. That was my view. I noticed that it was the view also of members of the then Morrison government who were also not told.

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I'm not taking the point of order in line with my earlier decision. The Prime Minister was asked a question. He's being direct on it. Resume your seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I make this point also that I think that the allocations have been fair and reasonable. As a proportion, people who are on the crossbench have more staff than people who are here on this side or on that side of the chamber because of the argument that is put there about not being part of party processes. I think it's been more than fair. I do make this point that the most number of representations that I have had from crossbenchers in the House and in the Senate isn't about health policy. It isn't about education policy. It isn't about housing policy. It's about their staff.