Source : Perth Now news
Crossbencher Fatima Payman has apologised to independent MP Helen Haines for her “clumsy wording” while airing frustration about a longstanding staffing dispute.
Senator Payman has been asking for an additional adviser for two years, arguing her staff allocations are below other independents.
During a senate estimates hearing this week, she accused Anthony Albanese – who decides staffing allowances – of “waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur to my office” before taking her request “seriously”.
Senator Payman refused immediate calls to withdraw the comment but on Wednesday apologised to Dr Haines, who remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital after a car ramming attack last week resulted in her losing both legs.
“I have apologised for my clumsy wording on Monday night and I have conveyed those apologies directly to Dr Haines and her staff,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald.
She also called on Special Minister of State Don Farrell to “sit down with the workers in my office to try and understand the toll the job is taking on their mental and physical wellbeing”.
Senator Farrell earlier denied that Senator Payman was “treated any differently” and branded her comments “outrageous”.
“The Prime Minister has increased the number of staff, not just to the crossbench but to all parliamentarians during … since 2022,” Senator Farrell said.
“Fatima Payman has five staffers, like every other backbench employee. She’s not treated any differently.”
Pressed on why other crossbenchers had more, Senator Farrell said it was “an issue for determination by the Prime Minister”.
During Monday night’s hearing, Senator Payman suggested she was “being made an example of” because she defected to the crossbench.
She said she had been “raising it for two years” and her staff “are burning out”.
“They can’t take this any longer,” Senator Payman said.
“Is the Prime Minister waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur to my office, to me, for him to take our request seriously?”
The outburst came after Senator Payman’s electorate office received mail last week containing human faeces.
“We had all these people in hazmat suits come through (the office),” she told The Guardian.
“The trauma that that inflicts on my staff members is horrible.
“No office or no worker should ever have to deal with that kind of crap.”
