Anthony Albanese is waging a war with a bench for staff

Threats of retaliation have not prevented the government from advancing with plans to cut staff and senators.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanez briefed independents on changes to the letter on Friday, cutting additional advisers from four to one.

The decision angered independent representatives across parliament, who threatened to block government bills if the changes were not repealed.

But on Sunday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers backed the call.

“It is not surprising that members of parliament want to have more resources to help them do their job,” he told ABC Insiders.

“What we’ve noticed with the bench is that there’s some extra pressure on the members of the cross. Therefore, they receive additional human resources.

“But I do not think it is reasonable and unfair for one MP in one electorate to get twice as many employees as an MP from the back bench in a neighboring electorate.

“That’s what this sensible proposition reflects.”

Each MP and senator gets four employees, who are mostly in the voter’s office and mainly deal with election issues.

But the nomination of additional cross-bench advisers over the nine years in the coalition government has crept up to four, as a sweetener for parliamentarians.

Independent MP Kuyon Monique Ryan said the decision to cancel the staff was a “mistake”.

“If (Mr. Albanese) really wants to cooperate with us, it is inexplicable that the first act of the prime minister participating in the new cross-bench is to attack our ability to work on our own,” she tweeted.

New ACT Senator David Pocock agreed, insisting it was “bad for democracy and transparency”.

“This decision is a hypocritical and double standard that actively disadvantages independents supported by the community while maintaining the status quo for major parties.”

But Education Minister Jason Claire said the decision was “fairly fair”, given that the government staff had been cut by $ 1.5 million and the opposition staff by $ 350,000.

“Well, if you’re a Labor MP, a Liberal MP, or a National MP, you get four employees, and if you’re green or if you’re a MP, you get eight, I think that’s a little wrong. a blow, ”he told Sky News.

“What Either says here is that if you are a parliamentarian, you will get an extra staff higher than what Labor, Liberals or … Nat MPs will get, and we will invest additional resources in the Parliamentary Library.”

Liberal deputy leader Susan Leigh said Mr Claire was “quite disapproving” of the bench’s problems.

“I realize it’s a pretty big workload.”

Labor has a majority in the lower house, but legislation will require the support of the coalition or the Greens and one senator.