Major consultancy firm PwC has ousted eight partners following a high-profile breach of confidentiality involving secret federal tax information. Tom Seymour, former CEO, who had already stepped down prior to his retirement date, was among the eight individuals identified as either directly involved in the breach or in the firm’s handling of the incident. The other seven partners are Peter Konidaris, Eddy Moussa, Richard Gregg, Pete Calleja, Sean Gregory, Peter van Dongen, and Wayne Plummer. Some partners have already left, while others are in the process of leaving the company. These eight names are in addition to the four former partners, Michael Bersten, Peter Collins, Neil Fuller, and Paul McNab, who were previously found to be involved in the breach. PwC has faced criticism for not revealing all 63 names provided to the government, who received emails containing sensitive information.
The consultancy firm has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that staff shared confidential tax information from the Treasury Department in order to attract new business. A former partner was caught sharing details about a proposed crackdown on multinational tax avoidance with companies interested in evading their obligations. PwC initiated an inquiry, and federal police are also conducting an investigation.
Acting CEO Kristin Stubbins of PwC acknowledged that a number of partners had behaved inappropriately and would be held accountable for their misconduct. The matter may also be investigated by the new national anti-corruption watchdog, as a Greens senator has referred the incident to the body. Alternatively, there could be a public hearing on the broader issue of the government’s use of contractors.
In his inaugural speech as the anti-corruption commissioner, Paul Brereton stated that the watchdog would consider conducting an inquiry into corruption risks and vulnerabilities in Commonwealth agencies and programs, without specifying any allegations. Senator Barbara Pocock, from the Greens, who has been pursuing the PwC scandal in parliamentary inquiries, called on the new commission to examine the issue. She urged PwC to fully disclose the information related to the scandal and criticized the firm for gradually releasing details. Senator Pocock emphasized the need for accountability in order to restore confidence that tax revenues are being appropriately collected.