Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Obviously it would help if Senator Farrell wants to provide a bit more context to the line of questioning that he pursued at the time. Let me just make a general point. I obviously know the context in which he is asking the question today. The general point is that the Prime Minister has an administrative role when it comes to the hiring of staff in the same way as the finance department has an administrative role. I have a role, given some of the stuff that has been said in recent days, in relation to every single one of the staffers on the Labor side, as much as I have a role in relation to staff on the government side.

In relation to the Nationals, which I assume the question is about, I'm advised that the Nationals are provided with a number of personal staff positions as a share of the government staffing pool. Their distribution between Nationals offices is a matter for the National Party. I'm also advised that at no time did the Nationals fill all vacant staffing positions. As for staffing moves between offices, the Deputy Prime Minister of course addressed that in a statement on Saturday, and I would refer you to that statement.