Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sparked a war with crossbench MPs and senators by slashing their parliamentary staff entitlement by three-quarters.
Though parliament is not scheduled to resume until July 26, Mr Albanese's decision on entitlements has done what few could ever have predicted: unify a motley collection of One Nation senators, teal independents and other crossbenchers.
It's understood crossbench senators are discussing whether to abstain from parliamentary votes to protest the decision – a tactic that could derail the government's legislative agenda. Labor secured 77 seats at the May 21 election and will not need crossbench support to secure passage of legislation through the Lower House.
But Labor will need the Greens plus one extra vote in the Senate to pass legislation the Coalition opposes.The Liberals, Nationals and Greens have secured different staffing arrangements with the Labor government.Independent Senator for the ACT David Pocock said cutting three-quarters of his parliamentary staffing resource "removes transparency, hinders the democratic process and reduces our ability to participate fully in parliament.
"Consulting with my fellow crossbenchers we have shared concerns about voting on legislation we don't have the resources to adequately scrutinise or ensure the integrity of," Senator Pocock said."Parliament should represent all Australians.
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