A letter authorising Farley to hire an additional staff member on a $200,000 package was delivered to the MP’s Parliament House office on Monday.

Departmental scrutiny of hundreds of millions of dollars in politically handpicked community grants has been called into question after research revealed bureaucrats almost never reject an invited bid on merit.

The senator reached out directly to independent MP Helen Haines, but has slammed the government for its staffing provisions.

The prime minister’s admission came after bureaucrats said Albanese’s stated use for the funding was not what it was designed for.

Security upgrades to MPs’ homes, as well as swifter office upgrades, are on the table. Some politicians also want duress alarms.