One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has accused Treasurer Jim Chalmers of hypocrisy after rejecting One Nation’s proposal to allow eligible workers to redirect part of their future superannuation contributions into take-home pay.

Hanson made the accusation in a post on X on 10 September, sharing a Daily Telegraph front page that labelled Chalmers a “super hypocrite”. She argued that parliamentary staff have access to a separate arrangement allowing eligible employees to receive part of their superannuation contribution as a fortnightly cash allowance.

Reporting by the Daily Telegraph says eligible staff covered by the 2024–27 Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement can choose to receive 3.4 per cent of their superannuation as a taxable fortnightly allowance. The arrangement dates back to 2017, according to the report.

Hanson compared that arrangement with One Nation’s proposed Super Pay Boost, which would allow eligible renters and owner-occupiers to redirect part of their future super contributions into immediate take-home pay for up to three years.

Chalmers has strongly opposed One Nation’s proposal, arguing that allowing workers to access superannuation early would reduce retirement savings and could add to inflationary pressure. The government has maintained that compulsory superannuation is important to Australians’ long-term retirement security.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the parliamentary staff arrangement involves the difference between the 15.4 per cent superannuation contribution available to eligible public service employees and the general 12 per cent compulsory rate applying to most workers. The allowance is taxed as ordinary income.

The dispute comes as superannuation has become a growing political issue, with One Nation arguing that greater flexibility could provide short-term cost-of-living relief while critics warn that accessing future retirement contributions could leave workers with less money in retirement.

Hanson’s post does not establish that Chalmers personally controls or receives the parliamentary staff arrangement. Her criticism is directed at what she describes as a difference between the treatment of political staff and the broader workforce.

Sources: Pauline Hanson on X · Daily Telegraph · Ministerial and Parliamentary Services — Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024–27