Big Four Face Australia Senate Grilling on Consulting Contracts

Australian senators on Wednesday will set their sights on KPMG in a growing probe of conflicts of interest and ethical lapses in the government’s use of consultants.

With public outrage over illicit information sharing at PwC Australia, the Senate in March charged the Finance and Public Administration References Committee with reporting on the government’s use of outside consultants. The committee, in addition to focusing on conflicts of interest and ethical concerns, will examine the risks posed to the public sector by the use of consultants.

The broad inquiry—which is focused on contracts awarded to Accenture, McKinsey, and Boston ...