The Department of Industry, Science and Resources also extended a KPMG contract following a government ban and despite discouragement from a staffer.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) sought assurances on KPMG Australia’s treatment of confidential information and conflicts of interest months before a whistleblower raised allegations about the firm’s misuse of client data, triggering major scandal.

Emails from the big four accounting firm’s interim chief executive at the time Stan Stavros to the department’s deputy secretary Neal Mason, obtained exclusively by Capital Brief under freedom of information (FOI) laws, outlined correspondence between the two entities from 12 September 2023 until 4 June 2026.

On 12 September 2023, eight months before the whistleblower internally raised concerns on the misuse of confidential client information, DISR wrote to then-CEO of KPMG Andrew Yates seeking information on the firm’s treatment of Commonwealth confidential information. Yates responded to DISR’s information request two weeks later.

Nine months later on 28 June 2024 — a month after the whistleblower made the first disclosure to the firm internally — DISR wrote to Yates seeking a meeting to discuss the firm’s treatment of confidential information and conflict of interest.

The meeting took place on 17 September 2024 and was attended by DISR chief financial officer and the general manager integrity, along with KPMG representatives.

A presentation pack KPMG...

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