MEDIA RELEASE – LABOR AND GREENS UNITE AGAINST TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRER WORKING CONDITIONS

SENATOR THE HON MICHAELIA CASH
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE
SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SENATOR THE HON JAMES MCGRATH
SHADOW SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CITIES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS
SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

LABOR AND GREENS UNITE AGAINST TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRER WORKING CONDITIONS

03 September 2025

In a bizarre but unsurprising move, Labor has today teamed up with Greens to vote down a Bill that would have addressed staff wellbeing concerns, ensured that parliamentarians were adequately resourced to hold the government to account, and removed discretionary powers that have been abused by the Prime Minister.

The decision to vote against this Bill now leaves the door open for real and negative impacts on staff already struggling to meet the demands of workload pressures as a result of Labor’s unprecedented move to cut staffing allocations for the Coalition and Crossbench.

The Bill introduced by the Coalition proposed simple changes to the MOPs Act to create clear guidelines on staffing allocations for the Opposition and Crossbench. It would have set up a fair, balanced and transparent system in place of discretionary powers given to the Prime Minister that are open to abuse, as has been the case with this egregious Prime Minister in Mr Albanese.

“The Prime Minister and his Labor government have taken the words ‘vindictive and nasty’ to a whole new level,” said Shadow Special Minister of State, Senator James McGrath.

“It is extraordinary that the self-proclaimed Party of the worker has ignored the findings of the recent PWSS review which found that shadow portfolio staff were struggling to meet the demands of the portfolio or parliamentary work under the current allocations.”

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Michaelia Cash said Prime Minister Albanese has broken long standing staffing conventions.

“Mr Albanese is acting like a medieval king granting castles and land to his favourite noblemen and shunning those out of favour at his court,’’ she said.

“This Bill was trying to fix this issue but Labor and Greens have scuttled it,’’ Senator Cash said.

“Staffing is an important part of the democratic process, allowing the Government of the day to do its job and for it to be held to account by the Opposition, other non-government parties and independents,’’ she said.

ENDS