Former army chief David Mor--rison is charging up to $15,000 for speaking engagements as Australian of the Year, up to three times more than his predecessor Rosie Batty asked for each appearance.
In an insight into the growth of the industry that has built up around advocacy of equality and diversity, Mr Morrison stands to earn as much as $780,000 while he is Australian of the Year if he gives one speech a week.
The former lieutenant general, who left the army in   May last year having become famous for a three-minute YouTube video on the treatment of women that went viral, is on the books of six speaking- agencies, commanding between- $10,000 and $15,000 for each appearance. 
By contrast, Ms Batty charged $5000 for speaking engagements during her tenure as Australian of the Year, in which she campaigned on the issue of domestic violence.
A behind-the-scenes look at the money that can be made from gender-diversity advocacy reveals that three of the contenders for Australian of the Year - Mr Morrison-, his former military colleagu-e and transgender champion- Catherine McGregor and former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick - have professional managers negotiating high fees for giving speeches on an issue such as equal rights for women. Mr Morrison has hired Rob Joske, who used to manage former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh. Ms Broderick's speakers' agent is Justin McNeany, the directo-r of Keynote Entertainment, and Group Captain Mc-Gregor is handled by Deb Claxton.
Mr Morrison is on the books of six agencies: Professional Speakers Australia, Keynote Entertainment, Successful Speakers, Joske Management, Celebrity Speakers and Claxton's Speakers Inter-national.
Claxton's Speakers Inter-national quotes a range of $10,000-$15,000 for Mr Morrison and $5000-$10,000 for both Ms Batty, whose 11-year-old son Luke was murdered by his father, and Group Captain McGregor.
Two speaking agencies confirmed that Mr Morrison had been booked for $15,000 and invoices show Ms Batty received $5000 for an engagement last year.
Ms Broderick is understood to charge about $10,000. The chairman of the National Australia Day Council - Victoria Cross recipient and Seven Network executive Ben Roberts-Smith - is also listed by Claxton's for a fee of $10,000-$15,000 for each speaking engagement.
Some of Mr Morrison's recent- speaking engagements include: the Deloitte partners annual meeting; the Women in Mining- and Resources WA Summit; the Aurizon senior leadership group; Goldman Sachs; the annual Judicia-l Conference of Australia; the Property Group of Australia; and the Harvard Business Association.
In addition to his income from the speaking circuit, Mr Morrison receives an army pension and earns a salary from Deloitte-, where he is a gender-diversity- adviser.
Mr Morrison's manager, Mr Joske, declined to reveal the size of this income and said he would not comment on commercial matters. "Whilst Robert Joske Management does not disclose commercial information to the media, there has been a substantial increase in requests for Mr Morrison to be involved in the philanthropic and (not-for--profit) sectors since his appointment as Australian of the Year," he said. "(He) is very conscious of the role he plays as Australian of the Year and has given priority to those activities, over his own business activities during 2016." In his Australia Day address, Mr Morrison lent his support to the republican movement and promised to continue the work of Ms Batty on domestic violence and to campaign for equality.
Radio host Alan Jones said he did not believe the Australia Day honour should be turned into a lucrative enterprise. "I wouldn't have thought being Australian of the Year should be used as a mechanism for money-making, but then again nothing would surprise me," he said.
Rod Thompson, senior advocate for not-for-profit veterans organisation The Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans' Association and a Gulf War veteran, said he found it "offensi-ve" that Mr Morrison was receiving thousands of dollars for advocacy.
"Anyone in the position of Australian of the Year should be willing to speak on issues close to their heart without charging and it goes to show the character of the man that The Australian of the Year is actually for sale," he said. "Rosie Batty championed the issues that were close to her heart and I think David Morris-on is championing politically correct issues. David Morrison is no Rosie Batty."Group Captain McGregor said she estimated she has been paid for only one in four appearances. "I only ever charge â€¦ if it's a major corporate event for a bank or law firm," she said. "I have done more unpaid than paid events and I never charge money for transgender or LGBTI events, nor do I charge for any event that has come to me through the ADF."