He's the man asked to wait in the car when the Prime Minister Tony Abbott arrived in Paris. But who are Peter Stephens and his partner of 32 years, Australia's ambassador to France Stephen Brady?

The truth is, neither man is a stranger to political controversy.

Back in September 2008, Mr Stephens came under the political microscope during a fiery Senate estimates hearing.

Liberal frontbencher Michael Ronaldson claimed Mr Stephens was serving as the "chief operating officer for [Kevin] Rudd and [wife Therese] Rein Inc" during a hearing.

He suggested Mr Stephens was "effectively being paid by the taxpayers of this country to be Ms Rein's personal adviser".

Labor's Special Minister of State at the time, John Faulkner, angrily denied the claims  and said Mr Stephens was employed in a range of roles in Mr Rudd's office.

"Let me make it very clear to the committee that those requests involve both the prime minister and the prime minister's wife, Ms Rein ...  he also co-ordinates arrangements for Ms Rein's official engagements, that would go to programming and planning and liaison."

It's that link back to the former Labor prime minister that some in government ranks highlighted as the reason why Mr Stephens was not welcome on the tarmac in Paris.

The Coalition government, since coming to power in September 2013, has shown a strong tribal streak which has led to, for example, four departmental secretaries seen as too close to Labor to be rapidly moved on. Others, however, who know Mr  Stephens say he and his partner are smart operators and political survivors who work well with both sides of politics.

They point to the fact that Prime Minister Tony Abbott hosted a farewell dinner for the couple when they left Canberra to take up the Paris job and all three were present at a staff dinner in Paris on April 26.

One theory doing the rounds on Tuesday night was that it was simply a matter of protocol.

Mr Abbott was not accompanied by his wife Margie and therefore it was not protocol for Mr Brady's partner to be present.

Mr Brady, a career diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs,  was said to be furious with the request for his partner to wait in the car. He was, according to sources in Paris, "literally screaming" at the protocol person.

Mr Brady has also endured the vicissitudes of public service – he was originally supposed to be headed to Italy, but was bumped to Paris after former foreign minister Alexander Downer was sent to London and former Labor premier Mike Rann was sent on to Rome as compensation.

The pair have also broken new ground - and grabbed headlines - as far back as 1999 when Mr Brady was presented as Ambassador to Denmark's Queen Margrethe II. 

They were the first officially acknowledged same-sex couple to fill such an important position.

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