Yesterday
- Exclusive
- Big four consultants
Spending on consultants at 10-year low: Gallagher
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says spending with the big four consulting firms along with Accenture and Scyne is down $240 million so far in 2023-24.
- Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- PwC
At PwC, it’s the revenge of the auditors
Long the humbler, more straight-forward and less risky arm of the firm, audit is now expected to be the growth engine and the governance model for the future.
- Edmund Tadros
One in two want government to cut use of big four firms: survey
Surveys in November and December show that almost one in three people have a negative view of the big four consulting firms.
- Edmund Tadros
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
The good, bad and ugly of business in 2023
Big deals, dud deals, scandals and success stories. In a year of high drama and big market moves, we look back at the winners and losers.
- Updated
- James Thomson
Samuel’s big four fix: ban firms consulting to audit clients
Former competition watchdog Graeme Samuel also said ASIC should resume naming and shaming firms with poor audit quality.
- Edmund Tadros
This Month
Big four partners face ‘career-ending’ fines in PwC fallout
The move is part of a broader multi-year suite of reforms being pursued by the government following the tax scandal which are designed to ward off similar conduct.
- Ronald Mizen
- Opinion
- BOSS
Drumstick Awards: Five biggest corporate stuff-ups of 2023
It’s been a golden year for corporate scandals. But one company has outshone the rest, taking home the inaugural Triple Drumstick.
- James Thomson
Rest of the big four decline to join PwC on political donations ban
EY and Deloitte will continue to donate despite PwC stopping all contributions after its tax leaks scandal, while KPMG is reviewing its stance.
- Edmund Tadros
Ex McKinsey, Bain operative to run Canberra’s in-house consulting push
The high-powered in-house Australian Government Consulting unit will be led by former Victorian data chief Andrew Nipe.
- Tom Burton
November
PwC response a Trojan horse for PRRT changes: Greens
The government has linked changes to the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax to the legislated response to the firm’s tax antics.
- Phillip Coorey
ASIC hopes threat of criminal sanction enough to force good audits
The regulator this year slashed the number of audits it reviews in its annual quality inspection regime from 45 to 30, even amid wider scrutiny on the sector.
- Hannah Wootton
PwC turning away risky work after tax leaks scandal
The firm’s top lawyer says PwC has turned away work that is “not consistent to our new risk profile”.
- Edmund Tadros
Chartered Accountants fines PwC $50,000 over tax leaks scandal
The main professional body of the big four accounting firms has ruled that PwC must pay the current maximum $50,000 fine, $46,000 in costs and provide regular reports on its reform process.
- Edmund Tadros
Top Westpac lawyer to be PwC’s new general counsel
PwC Australia has hired a senior Westpac lawyer Kylie Gray as its permanent general counsel as it rebuilds its leadership and governance after the tax leaks scandal.
- Edmund Tadros
PwC hires new chief risk officer, commits to stronger controls
PwC Australia has conceded its internal controls were “immature” and has committed to strengthening risk management in the wake of its tax leaks scandal.
- Max Mason
AFR journalists win Gold Walkley for PwC story
Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros broke one of the biggest stories of the year, which ultimately led to the break-up of the accounting firm in Australia.
- Updated
- Exclusive
- PwC
PwC Australia pauses partner promotions until July
The firm will delay appointing new partners for the second time since the tax leaks scandal broke, from January until July next year.
- Edmund Tadros
PwC Australia’s final political donation up 50pc to $370,000
The move by the firm to stop all political contributions put pressure on its big four rivals to follow suit.
- Edmund Tadros
- Opinion
- Audit quality
The triple merger that could transform accounting
The government will merge Australia’s three accounting standards bodies into one - in the largest reform to the accounting sector in decades. Not everyone’s happy.
- Edmund Tadros
Corruption boss targets ‘easy money’ for contractors
Commissioner Paul Brereton says the outsourcing of government work is “of great interest” to the NACC.
- Michael Pelly
