Australian Senate Rejects Another Consultancy Crackdown Bill

An Australian Senate committee on Thursday rejected a proposal to rein in government consulting contracts amid concerns about legal risk.

The proposed bill, introduced by Sen. Richard Colbeck, a member of the opposition Liberal Party, would have created a powerful committee of both houses of Parliament to oversee such contracts and potentially override those deemed not to be in the public interest.

The Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee rejected the bill, saying Colbeck’s proposal would create uncertainty, significant administrative burden and legal risk for the government. Industry had opposed the bill, with Big Four accounting giant ...