澳大利亚国会就会计师事务所KPMG滥用客户机密信息事件举行听证会。前澳洲央行行长格伦·史蒂文斯表示，麦格理集团正在评审是否应继续将价值约7亿澳元的审计合同授予KPMG[1]。史蒂文斯在听证会上提出核心问题："我们关注的是，在追求我们的招标中，是否有证据表明我们的任何信息，或更有问题的是其他人的信息，被滥用了？"[1]
西太平洋银行、Dexus和Lendlease等企业的董事长在听证会上作证，指控KPMG在招标过程中违反道德底线，滥用从内部审计获得的敏感信息来争取外部审计合同[1]。西太平洋银行董事会首次听说KPMG指控是在2024年3月，由劳工党参议员黛博拉·奥尼尔在议会上披露[1]。该行通用律师直到5月13日才获得全面说明[1]。前Lendlease董事长迈克尔·乌尔默证实KPMG违反了招标流程中禁止社交接触的规定[1]。
KPMG前首席运营官艾琳·霍格特因违规行为被开除[1]。
Former Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens has challenged KPMG over the accounting firm's alleged misuse of client confidential information during a parliamentary inquiry into the firm's conduct.[1] Stevens raised concerns about whether sensitive information—potentially including that of other clients—was improperly exploited as KPMG pursued a major audit contract worth approximately AUD 70 million annually, totaling around AUD 700 million over ten years with Macquarie Group.[1] "Our concern is whether there is evidence that any of our information, or more troublingly other people's information, has been misused in pursuit of our tender," Stevens stated during the hearing.[1]
The inquiry heard testimony from board chairs of major Australian corporations including Westpac, Dexus, and Lendlease, who alleged that KPMG violated ethical boundaries by leveraging sensitive information obtained during internal audit work to secure external audit contracts in competitive tender processes.[1] Westpac's board first learned of the KPMG allegations in March 2024 when Labor Senator Deborah O'Neill disclosed them in parliament, though the bank's general counsel did not receive a comprehensive briefing until May 13.[1] Former Lendlease chairman Michael Ullmer confirmed that KPMG breached tender process restrictions prohibiting social contact between competing bidders.[1] The misconduct ultimately resulted in KPMG's former chief operating officer, Aileen Hoggett, being terminated from the firm.[1]