Greens leader Richard Di Natale has denied underpaying au pairs to look after his children.

The live-in nannies were paid $150 for 25 hours work.

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But Senator Di Natale says the total package was worth $500 a week because it included rent and food.

The senator’s family sought advice on pay rates from a specialist employment agency.

They’d engaged several young people, for what he said had been a positive experience.

“The young man who we had recently for a few months has become a member of the family, his family have come and stayed with us,” he told ABC radio on Friday.

Senator Di Natale also hit back at claims he didn’t properly declare his family farm on a parliamentary register of MP interests.

“It’s listed as a farm business and it was listed on the register from the moment I took office,” Senator Di Natale said.

He denied the Greens were hypocritical for seizing on a similar omission by Labor frontbencher David Feeney.