Ban Consulting Firms Who Breach Public Trust
Consulting firms who leak confidential information and breach public trust should be barred from winning government contracts.
The high-profile scandal involving consulting firm PwC has brought attention to the dodgy dealings of consultancy firms used by the Australian Government.
The Australian Financial Review reported that "PwC Australia charged $2.5 million in fees to advise 14 clients how to side step new multinational tax avoidance laws in 2016, relying on leaked intelligence".
Using confidential government information for private gain raises serious questions about outsourcing core government work to consulting firms who breach public trust.
The Government must ban consulting firms who leak confidential information and breach public trust.
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Australia Institute research shows:
- Consulting firms use public money and charge exorbitantly for work that is often simplistic, flawed, self-interested or has been specifically commissioned to further the government’s preconceived agenda.
- Consultant work undermines the skills of the public service by preventing the development of skills and knowledge in-house.
- Consultants lead to poor government decision making.
- Australia needs new guidelines on the use of consultants, a revolving door policy for public servants and capacity building included in consultancy contracts.
- There must be a Senate standing order for the production of consultants reports in order to hold government and private firms to account.
For more information see our full submission.
To the Prime Minister of Australia --
Government reliance on consulting firms comes at the expense of responsible governance and the capability of the public service.
Consulting firms using confidential government information for private gain raises serious questions of integrity.
We, the undersigned, call for a Government ban on consulting firms who leak confidential information and breach public trust from receiving government contracts or confidential government information.
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