Hanson and Payman Forge Unlikely Alliance Against Albanese on Staffing

Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, and independent senator Fatima Payman have formed an unexpected coalition to challenge Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government over the allocation of parliamentary staff. This alliance is notable given their history of public clashes, including Payman once calling Hanson a "disgrace to the human race."

Hanson, Payman, and crossbench MP Dai Le are demanding changes to how Parliament distributes staff, alleging that the current system unfairly benefits the ruling Labor party. The senators argue that the Prime Minister holds too much power in determining the number of additional advisers allocated across Parliament, affecting policy development, legislative research, and media management for MPs and senators.

Payman, who was born in Afghanistan and previously held Afghan citizenship, faced scrutiny from Hanson in late 2024 regarding her eligibility to sit in Parliament. This exchange led to a heated confrontation in the Senate, where Payman delivered her strong condemnation of Hanson. However, on Thursday, the two senators stood together in Canberra to voice their concerns about what they perceive as inconsistent staffing allocations.

"We have different views on almost everything, but what we have in common is that we're all women," Payman stated. She also criticized Albanese, suggesting his public support for gender equality is inconsistent with his treatment of female critics.

Payman cited the Prime Minister's remarks about figures like former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, comments regarding Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and a podcast anecdote about pop star Kylie Minogue as examples of a pattern. "Australia has heard the Prime Minister's recent comments about melons, Grace Tame and Kylie Minogue," Payman said. "He boasts about leading a female-majority caucus and points to his government's record on women's rights. But are those rights only extended to women who agree with him?"

Figures indicate that Labor's 124 MPs are supported by over 500 advisers and ministerial staff. In contrast, the Coalition's 68 parliamentarians have access to 96 additional support staff. The Greens, with one lower-house MP and 10 senators, have been allocated 17 extra staff. One Nation, comprising six members in Parliament, receives five additional staff. Payman, as an independent parliamentarian who quit the Labor party over disagreements on the Israel-Gaza conflict, reported having no additional advisers.

Payman asserted that the system grants the government significant leverage over its political opposition and accused Albanese of deliberately sidelining her after her departure from the Labor party. "I know the Prime Minister wants to punish me, but he should not be allowed to play favourites," she stated. "There should be an independent process for determining parliamentary resourcing, not the whim of a petty man. We don't have to agree with each other, but we can come together, join forces, and say we demand better from this government."

Hanson has long contended that One Nation's staffing allocation does not reflect its growing parliamentary representation. In a letter to Albanese in August, she requested an increase in adviser numbers, arguing that One Nation meets the threshold for a recognized minority party, as do the Greens, who receive staffing based on that status. "Commonwealth law uses five members as the threshold for a recognised non-government minority party," Hanson wrote. "The Australian Greens meet that threshold and you have allocated their adviser staffing on that basis. One Nation now meets this threshold."