The move is a result of changes to auditing standards, and comes after KPMG was heavily criticised for ignoring whistleblower claims made by one of its own employees.

KPMG Australia will stop providing whistleblower hotline services to external audit clients by the end of this year, following changes to auditor standards as the firm’s fallout from its whistleblower scandal continues.

Emails from the big four accounting firm to the Reserve Bank, obtained exclusively by Capital Brief under freedom of information laws, said KPMG would not be able offer its hotline going forward due to “key and substantive changes” by the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, announced in October 2025, which come into effect on 15 December.

The emails were sent less than a day before Capital Brief revealed the RBA’s intention to cease its whistleblower contract with KPMG after the firm was accused of breaching client confidentiality earlier this year. It is unclear whether there were phone calls between KPMG and the RBA ahead of the email.

KPMG will still be providing the hotline to non-audit clients.

Labor Senator Deborah O’Neill told Capital Brief KPMG’s FairCall was “a product that they have shown they are unworthy to deliver”.

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