Abbott's double take on payouts Tony Abbott has attacked a government decision to double termination payouts for federal political staff to four weeks' pay, despite having sought more generous arrangements for outgoing Liberal staffers when he became Opposition Leader in 2009. Correspondence obtained by Fairfax Media from Mr Abbott to the then special minister of state, Joseph Ludwig, shows Mr Abbott asked for eight weeks' "settling-out" time for seven staff who had been employed in the private office of Malcolm Turnbull when Mr Abbott replaced him as leader on December 1, 2009. Asked about the new payout standard on Wednesday, Mr Abbott was scathing. "This is another sign of the Labor party's contempt for taxpayers," he said. This is a taxpayer-funded handout to political staffers and, frankly, it's just not on. It shouldn't be happening. The comments were consistent with opposition talking points circulated to Coalition MPs on Wednesday after reports of a $6000 "golden handshake" designed to keep staff loyal up to the election, despite a likely defeat for Labor. Special Minister of State Mark Dreyfus confirmed on Wednesday that advisers working for Labor would be eligible for four weeks' separation pay, among other entitlements, in the event of the ALP being defeated in September, an increase of two weeks. "Two weeks had been found in practice not to be long enough, you need the four weeks," he said, arguing it had "nothing to do with what is going to happen at the election." He said the new standard applied to staff across all parties and formalised a growing practice observed in 10 instances since 2007 when staff had been given the greater four-week payout. These included when the Howard government lost the election in 2007, although the Coalition claims staff only received two weeks' pay. Questioned specifically on the payouts to Turnbull staffers, Mr Abbott suggested there was no comparison. This is an additional benefit that the government is putting in place. It's changing a discretionary payment to a rule and yet again, we see a government which is fast and loose with taxpayers' money.