# Fatima Payman apologises to Helen Haines over staff allocation remarks

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/fatima-payman-apologises-to-helen-haines-over-controversial-staffing-comments/
- Published: 2026-10-28T03:17:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T03:32:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16244577/fatima-payman-apology-helen-haines-staffing-comments-albanese.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Art, Culture, World

## Key points

- Payman apologised to Haines and her staff for her wording.
- She says her office needs more staff to manage its workload.
- Farrell rejected her implication about the Prime Minister’s response.

## Summary

Independent senator Fatima Payman apologised to Helen Haines and her staff after comments in Parliament appeared to suggest the Prime Minister might only approve more staff for Payman’s office after an attack like the one allegedly suffered by Haines. Payman said her wording was clumsy, while maintaining that her office’s workload and staff pressures were unsustainable.

Payman made the remarks during Senate Estimates on Monday, questioning whether her departure from Labor affected her request for additional staff. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has discretion over staffing allocations. Haines, 65, remains in a serious but stable condition after allegedly being struck by a vehicle outside her Wangaratta electorate office; police charged a 43-year-old man over the incident. Special Minister of State Don Farrell condemned Payman’s remarks before her apology was made public and rejected the suggestion the government was ignoring her concerns.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.