One Nation staffing cuts in May 2026 affect Senate work

One Nation now has only two advisers compared to 59 for the Prime Minister. This gap makes it hard for smaller parties to check government work.
By Newsroom | Politics, Australia |

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson claims the federal government is weaponizing staffing allocations to destabilize opposition parliamentary operations, citing extreme stress and potential physical collapse among her remaining team. Hanson reports that her office is currently restricted to two parliamentary advisers, contrasting sharply with the 15 advisers afforded to the Greens and the 59 positions currently serving the office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The Staffing Hierarchy

The distribution of taxpayer-funded support staff follows an asymmetrical pattern dictated by the Prime Minister's office. Disparity remains high between government resources and crossbench capacity:

EntityStaffing/Adviser Allocation
Prime Minister Albanese59 Advisers
Greens Leader Larissa Waters15 Advisers
One Nation (Per Senator)1 Adviser

Current Friction and Watchdog Involvement

  • Hanson has escalated the dispute by reporting Albanese to a federal watchdog, alleging that budget cuts forced mandatory redundancies within her party while the Labor government maintains a total staff count approaching 500.

  • Independent Senator David Pocock has publicly confirmed the financial strain, stating he has been forced to utilize external fundraising to employ necessary support staff, further highlighting the barrier to entry for smaller political entities.

  • A government spokesperson maintains that additional resources are available based on workload needs, though these remain subject to the Prime Minister’s ultimate discretion.

Contextual Undercurrents

The current dispute is a continuation of post-election recalibrations following the May 2025 cycle. While the government reduced its own internal headcount by 10 positions following the election, the broader consolidation of power in the Prime Minister's office has sparked friction across the floor.

The struggle is set against a backdrop of Political Polarization and regional electoral threats. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has previously noted that while One Nation poses a tangible electoral threat to both major parties, the strategy to combat it involves both high-level scrutiny of Policy Credentials and the active curbing of their institutional influence. Hanson, meanwhile, continues to frame these administrative maneuvers as a deliberate attempt to stifle Parliamentary Scrutiny of the government's Legislative Agenda.

Read More: Custom Products Now Cost More Due to New 'Self-Brand' Trend

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is Pauline Hanson reporting the federal government to a watchdog in May 2026?
Pauline Hanson claims the government is using staffing cuts to hurt her party's work. She says her team is under too much stress because they only have two advisers.
Q: How many advisers does the Prime Minister have compared to One Nation?
As of May 2026, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has 59 advisers. In contrast, One Nation senators are limited to only one or two advisers each.
Q: What does the government say about the staffing levels for One Nation?
A government spokesperson says that extra resources are given based on how much work a senator has. However, the Prime Minister makes the final decision on these numbers.
Q: How are other senators dealing with the lack of government staff?
Independent Senator David Pocock says he has to raise money from outside sources to pay for his own staff. This shows how hard it is for small parties to get enough support.