Jillian Segal hired former Scott Morrison adviser on $200,000 contract without public tender process
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/may/27/jillian-segal-hired-former-scott-morrison-adviser-contract-without-public-tender-ntwnfb
Jillian Segal hired former Scott Morrison adviser on $200,000 contract without public tender process
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/may/27/jillian-segal-hired-former-scott-morrison-adviser-contract-without-public-tender-ntwnfb
16 Comments
Cool and normal.
Enough said. How did Labor appoint this compromised political hack?
Scott Morrisons advisor earns $200,000?? I’m really in the wrong industry.
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I’d like to sign up be someone’s advisor.
My experience of not being a cunt is high although sometimes I can get easily distracted. I’ll do it for half the price though.
Jobs for the bois
CANBERRA — The Office of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has reportedly completed the uniquely Canberra task of awarding a $200,000 communications contract via a “limited tender” — the public sector’s version of asking, “Know anyone good?”
The successful applicant, a former adviser to Scott Morrison, reportedly brings experience in politics, communications, and the sort of institutional memory that allows someone to explain a three-page procurement process using only acronyms.
Independent Senator David Pocock has been grilling Department of Home Affairs officials at a Senate estimates hearing about this exact setup.
The details behind the curtain of this “limited tender” show how it came together:
**The Recipient:** The contract went to Society Advisory Pty Ltd, a consulting firm founded by **Yaron Finkelstein**, who was Scott Morrison’s former principal private secretary (essentially his top political adviser).
**The Justification:** According to department officials, the 12-month, $200,000 contract was awarded without a public tender due to an “absence of competition for technical reasons.” They claimed Finkelstein’s highly specific skills in managing complex public affairs could not be matched by any other business.
**The Side Eye:** Senator Pocock pointed out the obvious irony that the Department of Home Affairs already has a dedicated, internal communications division staffed by more than 100 people.
The contract is set to run until April 2027, perfectly timed to overlap with the ongoing royal commission into antiemitism and social cohesion.
You can watch an interview detailing her broader strategy to address these issues in [this ABC News interview with Jillian Segal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwN2xpElRiA), which provides context on the major policy push and the ongoing public interest surrounding her office’s mandate.
I remember applying for a $150k government role which was $40k more than my previous job in the private sector. I got through to the final two but didn’t get the role because I was overqualified and the role went to an internal employee.
The system’s rigged and it’s a cushy job for connected, elite families. Or those lucky enough to start at the bottom and work their way up.
Legalised looting
Was it really Scott Morrison? I imagine he had the title of adviser to Scott Morrison.
Is Pocock the only one there working for us? What the fuck is going on
It’s one big club and we work our asses off digging holes to fund it.
Foreign interference implications too.
The IHRA anti-semitism position suits the Likud coalition of Israel, not Australia’s national interests.
On the board of the Grattan institute. Same ones who recently came out and said we don’t need car parks in apartment buildings. We can all park on the street which is where I am sure they all park their cars at night. That or we can just go without cars.
200,000 is minimum wage who cares.
I hired a Cybersec contractor the order week. Didn’t do a tendering process. Interviewed and liked them.