Labor defector Senator Fatima Payman has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of “waiting” for her to be attacked like Helen Haines, in a stunning outburst.

The Western Australian senator linked a staffing shortage in her office to personal security following last week’s alleged 4WD-ramming of Haines.

A politician’s personal staff is not responsible for their security.

Payman claimed Albanese was deliberately palming off her pleas for more staff and making an example of her for quitting the party.

She defected from Labor in mid-2024 to sit as an independent and was granted no additional staff. The Muslim politician has been the victim of abuse and death threats from the public.

On October 22, a Queensland man avoided jail after emailing Payman with threats for her to get hit by a truck, among a slew of other abuses.

In November 2025, a 51-year-old Victorian man was sentenced to an 18-month community jail term for making racist death threats against the WA independent.

During a Senate Estimates hearing on Monday, Payman claimed an application for more staff had sat idle for almost two years while staffing requests from newer MPs and senators had since been accommodated.

“I implore you and the Prime Minister to please look into the fact that my staff are burning out — they can’t take this any longer,” Payman told Special Minister of State Don Farrell.

“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 said, in a remark she was asked to withdraw.

“I’ve been waiting two years, and I am tired of looking in my staff’s eyes and saying you just have to deal with this because the Prime Minister is petty and is taking it out on me.”

“Has the Prime Minister refused to make a decision on my request, because unlike all the other defectors, I defected from the Labor Party?” she asked.

“Am I being made an example of?”

Payman said Albanese had sat on her application while granting more staff to senators Lidia Thorpe, Tammy Tyrrell and David Van as well as MP Andrew Gee, who had quit the Greens, Jacqui Lambie Network, Liberals and Nationals respectively.

Newer parliamentarians’ requests had also been processed speedily, including for Greens leader David Shoebridge, who took that post only in late September, she said.

The safety of politicians has been in the spotlight since Haines was allegedly struck repeatedly by a four-wheel drive outside her Wangaratta office.

Haines lost both her legs in hospital and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Labor MPs have proposed with Albanese duress alarms as a security option.

He told Labor MPs during a party room briefing on Tuesday he understood they wanted tighter security at offices and at home. He said the government would fast-track an independent review focused on safety and security recommendations.

“You’ve all dedicated so much to the safety of others in the workplace,” Albanese said.

“I’m determined to make sure we do everything for your safety and the safety of your staff as well.”

At least nine MPs will have security crackdowns accelerated for their electorate offices, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher confirmed, after they raised concerns last week.

Security in Parliament House’s public places will also be stepped up.

“It’s very legitimate that we have a look at that and respond,” she told ABC Radio.

Security is handled across several departments: The Australian Federal Police is responsible for assessments and security details, Home Affairs looks after home security and Finance handles offices and transport.

All three co-ordinate to share information, Finance secretary Matt Yannopoulos confirmed in a late-night Senate estimates sitting on Monday.

-with AAP