Senate estimates revealed that Julianne Stewart, a speechwriter for former prime ministers, was hired by Services Australia on a two-year contract valued at $620,000.
The speechwriter contracted at $620,000 over two years for Services Australia spends the majority of her time writing speeches for NDIS Minister Bill Shorten, but fellow minister Matt Keough insists the former Labor leader still writes his own zingers.
“She provides training and building of capability, she’s not exclusive to Minister Shorten,” Smith said. Shorten’s ministerial website lists 23 speeches he has given since Stewart was employed, which shadow treasurer Angus Taylor slammed as proof of government misspending during a cost of living crisis.“It gets worse, because there were already two speechwriters within a team of 201 media and communication staff members. So this is just extraordinary,” Taylor told 2CC on Tuesday.A federal MP’s base salary is now $225,742.
“Instead of wasting taxpayers money on additional spin, Minister Shorten must focus on ensuring the NDIS is sustainable for the most vulnerable Australians on the scheme,” she said. Burke also said at a time of labour shortages, professions in demand get more money than they would otherwise.
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