Appearing before Senate estimates on Monday, Services Australia confirmed that Julianne Stewart, a personal speechwriter for the government services minister, Bill Shorten, cost the agency $620,000 over two years. The arrangement came to light after the tender was published on the government’s AusTender website. Senator Linda Reynolds said she is 'in the wrong business' when discussing the figure, with fellow Liberal Maria Kovacic saying it was 'outrageous'. 'Senators who work in this building get paid about $230,000 a year,' Kovacic said. 'MPs in the government and senators in the government, on the crossbench and in the opposition, get paid less than the speechwriter that Minister Shorten, it appears, has personally requested to write speeches for him when there is a 180 [full-time equivalent] capability that is already being paid for within the department'
