Pauline Hanson’s $100,000 pay rise as One Nation growth sparks fresh staffing push

Pauline Hanson is earning about $100,000 more a year after Barnaby Joyce’s defection helped cement One Nation’s status as a recognised minor party – but she says the extra pay hasn’t come with the support needed to handle the workload.

The development, first reported by The Australian, means Hanson’s salary has risen from around $239,000 to roughly $341,000 annually – a 42.5 per cent increase that reflects her role leading an official minor party in federal parliament.

The pay bump brings her in line with Greens leader Larissa Waters, though still well below the salary of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

But Hanson argues the real issue isn’t the pay – it’s the pressure.

With One Nation’s vote surging, including a strong showing in the South Australian election where the party could secure multiple lower house seats, Hanson says demand on her office has grown sharply.

“I’ve always had a lot of requests for people to meet with me, but there is an increase,” she said, pointing to interest from business leaders and even international representatives.

Despite the party’s rising profile, Hanson says staffing levels haven’t kept pace. She has asked the government to increase resources, including doubling staff numbers, but says she has yet to receive a response.

“We’ve got four senators with only four personal staff,” she said. “So the other senators don’t have that personal staff, so we’ve asked for that.”

Hanson has also personally raised the issue with Finance Minister Don Farrell, as well as Albanese, arguing One Nation should receive similar support to what the Greens were given when they reached comparable numbers in parliament.

Under current rules, there is no automatic increase in staffing when a party reaches minor party status – a threshold of at least five federal MPs or senators -although leadership salaries do rise.

Meanwhile, Joyce – now One Nation’s only lower house MP – is also seeking additional support, saying he is handling policy across multiple portfolios on his own.

The push for more resources comes as One Nation continues to gain traction nationally, with its primary vote in some areas overtaking that of the Liberal Party – a shift that is reshaping Australia’s political landscape.