Senate Division 2 · 3 Sep 2025

Members of Parliament (Staff) Amendment (Providing Certainty and Improving Integrity) Bill 2025 - Third Reading - Pass the bill

Negatived 29 aye · 32 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted against a motion to pass the bill in the Senate. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a third time.

What does the bill do?

According to the explanatory memorandum, which is a document prepared by the parties introducing the bill (Liberal Party, United Australia Party, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party and Australia's Voice):

This Bill amends the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 to place statutory minimum staffing guarantees for non-government parliamentarians and to remove the power of the executive to reduce those minima by later determination.

This Bill ensures that all members of Parliament—regardless of political affiliation—have the basic staffing support necessary to do their job, and provides for minimum staffing entitlements in three categories.

First, it provides that Opposition parties will be entitled to at least 110 personal staff (non‑ministerial) or 22 per cent of the Government’s allocation, whichever is greater. This recognises the vital role of the Opposition in holding the Government to account. It also ensures that the proportion of senior staff available to the Opposition reflects that of the Government’s own staffing structure.

Second, the Bill provides that a non‑government party with 8 or more parliamentarians must be allocated at least 25 personal staff, or 5 per cent of the Government’s total allocation, whichever is greater.

Third, the Bill guarantees that independent parliamentarians and parliamentarians who are members of minority parties—where the party has fewer than 8 parliamentarians—must receive at least three personal staff, including one classified as a Senior Adviser.

The Bill also clarifies that the Prime Minister cannot reduce these minimum entitlements through determinations under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 , but may increase them.

Context written by They Vote For You volunteers (ODbL), reproduced unchanged.

Third reading: The third reading is the chamber's final vote on the bill in the form it has reached. Passing it sends the bill to the other chamber, or on for assent.

Related bills

Members of Parliament (Staff) Amendment (Providing Certainty and Improving Integrity) Bill 2025

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	2	22
Liberal–National Coalition	20	0
Australian Greens	1	10
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	3	0
Independent	1	0
Jacqui Lambie Network	1	0
United Australia Party	1	0

Every vote

AYE (29)

NO (32)

Divisions this sitting day

Every division the Senate held that day, in order; the one on this page is marked.

Division 1 Members of Parliament (Staff) Amendment (Providing Certainty and Improving Integrity) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Allocation of personnel staff Carried Senate 40–23
Division 2 Members of Parliament (Staff) Amendment (Providing Certainty and Improving Integrity) Bill 2025 - Third Reading - Pass the bill Negatived Senate 29–32
Division 3 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and another - Second Reading - Demands Negatived Senate 26–32
Division 4 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and another - Second Reading - Criticism of Government Carried Senate 33–22
Division 5 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and another - Second Reading - Condemns Prime Minister Negatived Senate 23–33
Division 6 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and another - Second Reading - Disabled people under 65 in aged care Negatived Senate 12–29
Division 7 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and another - in Committee - Excluding redress payments from means testing Negatived Senate 16–26
Division 8 Motions - Australian National Flag - Suspend the usual rules Negatived Senate 22–32
Division 9 Committees — Finance and Public Administration References Committee; Reference Negatived Senate 25–29
Division 10 Documents — Parliament House: Sponsored Access; Order for the Production of Documents Negatived Senate 16–30
Division 11 Documents — International Relations: Australia and Nauru; Order for the Production of Documents Negatived Senate 16–30
Division 12 Documents — United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties; Order for the Production of Documents Negatived Senate 27–30
Division 13 Business — Consideration of Legislation Negatived Senate 22–34
Division 14 Committees — Economics References Committee; Reference Negatived Senate 9–37
Division 15 Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025 - First Reading - Put the question Carried Senate 26–12
Division 16 Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025 - First Reading - Proceeding without formalities Carried Senate 26–12
Division 17 Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025 - First Reading - Continue considering the bill in parliament Carried Senate 26–12
Division 18 Matters of Urgency - Australian National Flag - Put the question Carried Senate 31–22
Division 19 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and another - in Committee - Duration of modification power Carried Senate 35–21
Division 20 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025 - in Committee - Release of remaining home care packages Carried Senate 35–20
Division 21 Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025 - in Committee - Excluding certain redress payments from means testing Negatived Senate 14–30
Division 22 Business — Rearrangement Carried Senate 26–18