Anthony Albanese wants politicians to turn down the heat, but a crossbench senator’s angry outburst and fresh questions over a $6 million golf club grant have turned it back on him, writes political columnist MICHELLE GRATTAN

Anthony Albanese reprised his well known mantra – that we must “turn the temperature down” – as politicians and the community generally struggled to come to grips with the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines.

But as the days pass (though the shock remains), the temperature has risen in some unexpected ways, with increasing heat on the prime minister himself.

The most dramatic example was an outburst by crossbench senator Fatima Payman, who defected from Labor last term.

Albanese has used his discretion to refuse Payman the personal staff he’s accorded various other crossbenchers. The PM has exercised his power over MPs’ staffing in a quite arbitrary way, which has disadvantaged, as well as Payman, One Nation and also the independent member for Fowler Dai Le, who won a Labor seat in 2022. Recently Pauline Hanson, Payman and Le teamed up at a joint news conference to complain about the treatment.

At a Senate estimates committee hearing on Monday night, Payman had an angry meltdown.

“My staff are expected to do the job of an office that has seven full-timers, so I don’t know how the ‘same job, same pay’ thing that Labor keeps bragging about applies to my team,” she said.

“They can’t take this any longer. And 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?”

Payman has suffered substantial harassment and threats, some of which have led to charges.

Special Minister of State Don Farrell, the minister at the table on Monday, accused Payman of an outrageous suggestion.

“I can’t believe that I’m saying that, or making that suggestion, because it’s been two years,” she said, but didn’t withdraw the comment.

What about truthfulness?

On a very different front, Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has turned the debate about temperature to one about truthfulness.

“In the aftermath of the horrific attack on independent MP Helen Haines, there has rightly been considerable discussion about the need to lower the temperature of political debate. Words matter. Those of us in public life have a responsibility to conduct ourselves with civility and respect,” Wilson wrote in The Australian.

“But restoring confidence in our democracy demands more than changing how politicians speak. It requires changing how governments behave.”

“Telling the truth and honouring promises are more important to rebuilding trust in democracy than softening debate.”

Wilson primarily targeted the Victorian government, but also had an eye federally. “Federal Labor’s broken promises on negative gearing and capital gains tax demonstrate how quickly trust can be squandered when governments abandon commitments made to voters,” she wrote.

Albanese caught out over golf club grant

As the House of Representatives question time returned to its more usual tempo on Tuesday, after Monday’s sombre tone, the opposition’s big issue was the very one Haines had pursued weeks ago – the controversial $6 million grant to a golf club in Albanese’ seat.

Pressed about this grant (which was an election promise) on September 9, the PM said: “They have a septic tank. Because it is on the floodplain, when it floods in Marrickville, raw sewage flows into the Cooks River – that is what the funding is for.”

As recently as Sunday, Infrastructure Minister Catherine King told News24 the project included sewerage work as well as other construction.

But at Senate estimates, a public servant indicated the brief to King did not include sewerage works.

The ABC reported on Tuesday: “Documents released under freedom of information laws show the brief prepared by the department to Transport Minister Catherine King, and shared with the prime minister’s office, contained no mention of septic issues or sewerage works as part of the $6 million grant.

“That brief said the clubhouse refurbishment would include furniture, lighting, bar area and alfresco dining upgrades, public toilets, a dog walking station and dedicated space for local environment groups,” the ABC reported.

“The brief was shared with Mr Albanese’s office just days before the ABC put questions to the office about the grant and his honorary membership [of the club].”

It turns out the sewerage issue was dealt with by the New South Wales government, and announced on September 17, 2025.

Under opposition questioning Albanese said on Tuesday: “The funding was going to be for sewerage – the New South Wales government has stepped in which is appropriate”.

“I was not aware of the state government grant. Why would I be?”

Why indeed? Because that grant was a public statement? Because the PM has plenty of staff to liaise with state governments, and watch out for overlapping grants?

When she feels up to it, Haines might enjoy perusing Tuesday’s Hansard. It again vindicates her pursuit of the grants scheme.

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra. Republished from The Conversation.

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