Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been caught in a case of super-sized hypocrisy, attacking One Nation’s policy to allow greater access to super, even though he offers the same arrangements to his own staff.
It comes after One Nation announced its plan to allow struggling workers to redirect three per cent of their salary from compulsory super contributions into their take home pay.
While Mr Chalmers has railed against the proposal as “very dangerous” and an “anti-super ideology”, it turns out he offers the same arrangement to his own staff.
News24.com.au can reveal eligible parliamentary staff – like Mr Chalmers’ employees – can choose to take roughly three per cent of their pay instead of super.
One Nation has seized on the contradiction to accuse Mr Chalmers of applying one rule to Canberra insiders and another to Australians battling to pay the rent or mortgage.
“Dr Jim Chalmers seems to have taken the hypocritical oath,” Ms Hanson said in a statement provided to News24.com.au.
“He says giving Australians the choice to take three per cent of their super as pay will destroy superannuation, while staff working in his own office can already choose to do exactly the same thing.
“Apparently it’s fine when Canberra political staff do it, but reckless for Australians struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of Dr Jim’s cost-of-living crisis.
“Dr Jim reeks of hypocrisy. He has one rule for his staff in Canberra, but wants another rule for Australians struggling everywhere else.”
Federal parliamentary staff receive an employer super contribution of 15.4 per cent, compared with the compulsory 12 per cent rate applying to most workers.
According to the federal government’s Department of Finance, staff members hired by federal parliamentarians can elect to receive the additional contribution as pay, while retaining 12 per cent in super.
Those who elect the “superannuation allowance” will “be paid an allowance of 3.9640 per cent of ordinary time earnings each pay”, the department says.
Ms Hanson said the discrepancy showed Mr Chalmers was beholden to the “superannuation elites” who control more than $4 trillion in assets.
“These superannuation elites are so out of touch with the real economy they have no idea what ordinary Australians are going through,” she said.
“They sit in their comfortable offices telling families struggling with the rent or mortgage that their own money is better off locked away for decades.
“And Jim Chalmers has become their super sock puppet.”
The stoush comes after Ms Hanson unveiled her policy to allow renters and mortgage holders to take one quarter of their super contributions as take-home pay.
Under the proposal, employers would still pay the full compulsory 12 per cent, but for those who opt in, one quarter can be taken as a wage for up to three years.
One Nation says a full-time worker earning $90,500 could receive an additional $2,300 a year — or $44 a week — after concessional tax under the policy.
A couple earning $168,000 between them could receive about $4,300 a year, according to the party’s figures.
The proposal triggered outrage from Mr Chalmers and the Albanese government, which said the policy amounts to a “full-frontal attack” on the retirement system.
“Pauline Hanson and One Nation confirmed they will go after your super,” Mr Chalmers said in a fundraising email to Labor supporters.
“That’s what we’re up against at the next election. One Nation, the Liberals and the Nationals, all lining up against your super.”
He doubled down on the attack in the House of Representatives, saying: “One Nation poses an unacceptable and dangerous risk to Australian workers.”
“One Nation is proposing a full frontal attack on superannuation as a full-frontal attack on Australian workers,” Mr Chalmers said.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce then accused Mr Chalmers of being the “greatest threat” to super, pointing to Labor’s changes to the taxation of high-value super balances.
Labor had promised not to touch superannuation before introducing legislation to increase the tax rate applying to earnings on super balances above $3 million.
“The greatest threat to your superannuation and the person who’s decided to steal from it is Sneaky Jim, Treasurer Jim, Uncle Jim,” Mr Joyce told News24.com.au.
“He was the one who changed the tax that the government will take from 15 to 30 per cent for balances over $3 million.
“And he’s taking up to 45 per cent for balances of $10 million. So there’s your threat.”