Australian Senate Inquiry Probes Government Consultant Integrity

Australia’s Senate agreed Thursday to a speedy inquiry into the management and integrity of consulting services provided to the government, including by the Big Four accounting firms—PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, KPMG LLP, and Deloitte LLP.

“Look no further than the recent PwC scandals. They highlight the importance of this inquiry,” said Sen. Barbara Pocock, Greens party leader on finance issues. Pocock led the push for the inquiry.

A Senate committee in February probed the leak of secret government information by PwC’s former head of international tax, Peter Collins. Pocock also pointed to PwC’s evidence ...