Albanese once criticised rivals for abusing this power. Just look at him now

September 25, 2026 — 5:00am

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When Anthony Albanese came to power in 2022, he slashed the number of well-paid advisers allocated to the crossbenchers in parliament.

Privately, the PM argued that the generous allocation of staff to crossbench MPs had become corrupted and was unnecessary. Balance-of-power MPs had gained one adviser and two assistant advisers under Malcolm Turnbull, and then a second adviser-level staff member under Scott Morrison.

At the time, the votes of crossbench senators (in particular) were often needed to pass laws.

Unfortunately, the system has been corrupted again under Albanese. The prime minister is now doing what he once railed against Turnbull and Morrison for doing. And it’s all within the rules.

Rather than cleaning it up, he too is gaming the system. The number of advisers allowed for crossbench MPs makes no sense, unless it is understood through the lens of political patronage.

The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (widely known as the MOPS Act) hands the prime minister of the day near unfettered power to decide how many adviser-level staff other MPs have, and how much they are paid. Albanese has made full use of this power.

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© The Sydney Morning Herald