What does it mean when the prime minister wants to cut back on crossbench staffing?

When a new prime minister comes up with an idea of cutting back expenditure on advisers working in the office of crossbench parliamentarians, it produces some fascinating public discourse. 

It’s worth considering a range of implications that arise as a result of the proposal to take the garden shears to the funding given to crossbenchers for parliamentary staff.

Cost of living was high on the list of issues before the electorate during the recent election campaign and it is clear that the government wants to send a message that politicians are not going to be exempt from cutbacks.

This apparently includes those politicians on the crossbench who were newly elected in May and are only now learning about how the allocation of staff works for those representing voters in the big house on the hill.

The optics at one level are interesting.