Australia

This is the best summary I could come up with:

They said the PwC tax leaks scandal, and the wave of ethical failures later exposed at other large consulting and audit firms, had "struck at the very core" of Australians' faith in the integrity of corporate Australia, and of the way in which such entities engage with government.

It recommends that the minister for finance be required to publish biannual statements on the government's expenditure on all consultancy contracts, worth $2 million or more, by APS departments and agencies.

On that point, the committee heard evidence from stakeholders that private consulting firms were motivated by profit, and that their values were not always aligned with the public service, which needed correcting.

This includes significant steps to enhance our governance, culture and accountability, and we continue to work hard to rebuild trust and confidence with our stakeholders."

She said in view of its misdemeanours in the misuse of confidential information, PwC should be excluded from government contracting for five years, along with its previous CEO, Luke Sayers.

She said employment numbers in the APS should be allowed to grow at least in line with population growth, to rebuild the government's capacity to deliver the services Australians actually want.

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