Senate Economics Legislation Committee, , 5:41:00 to 5:44:22
Debate on partnership caps and managing structural conflicts of interest within major consulting firms and their lobbying activities.
Topics: Integrity, Lobbying
Speakers: Hon Katy Gallagher, Speaker 29
Sorry, what if?
Well, the decisions we have to go through our processes. Ministers don't make calls on introduction of ledge or legislation or specifics of legislation without going through our processes.
I'm concerned that you use the word if it is your expectation there will be legislation. Is that the case? Because I've been consulted on that basis, I think. Yes. I've never heard of that.
Yes, but I'm what I'm saying is that those decisions haven't been finalised. We have to go through our processes. The Assistant Treasurer, I think it's the Assistant Treasurer leading that work. So have and doing the work.
And doing the work. Yes, I understand that. Thank you. Have you made any decisions as a government about partnership caps, about subjecting large partnerships to corporate tax and transparency and accountability requirements of the kind the corporate sector face and in relation to managing the structural conflicts that occur in multidisciplinary firms where we see that very clear conflict of interest between audit work consulting and tax?
Yeah. I mean these are some of the issues that have come up through the work you've done and others, including Senator O'Neill as well, who's been, I think you've you've been raising concerns about this area for quite a number of years now. So I can't the government hasn't made final decisions on this matter yet.
I'm curious because a lot of people say to me, and I know it to be true that the big four partnerships are very powerful and large, although they have suffered two of them at least very significant blows in recent years. What is the pathway of consultation and lobbying by the big four firms? Um can you provide, for example, a diary uh record of how often the minister, the relevant minister meets with officers and staff of the big four?
Um I can't answer on behalf of the Assistant Treasurer and and who he meets with. Uh, but in my experience and I have something to do in this sector, particularly around government procurement. Um, from my perspective, I can't I have not had a meeting with the big four that I can recall on an individual matter or indeed any lobbying from them about government you know approach to to their business. I've had probably had some letters from PWC and KPMG from time to time when issues have arisen. Um, but I think any suggestion that they're kind of it you know, taking some kind of aggressive lobbying approach is not it's certainly not my experience.
Well, I'm a bit player here, and I've had them walk in my door with the expectation that they will have ready access, um, not so recently, but uh, can I ask that the relevant assist that the minister?
We can certainly take it on notice.
Take it on notice. I'm very curious. I would like to be reassured that that the same principle applies to him, which is not meeting with them, but could I have evidence any uh evidence of any direction or communications with the big four um firms and their their uh personnel? Thank you.