KPMG Audit Practices Under Scrutiny After Parliamentary Hearings
Parliamentary hearings in Canberra expose KPMG’s use of Lendlease data to win Westpac contracts, sparking demands for tighter audit oversight.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services said it held hearings two Fridays ago in Canberra to investigate KPMG’s audit practices. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services said former KPMG COO Eileen Hoggett was a central figure in the hearings, alongside Westpac’s former signing auditor Kim Lawry. The KPMG whistleblower alleged that the firm used confidential information from client Lendlease to inform competitive tenders for Westpac audit work.
In September 2025, KPMG hired Allens, which failed to search KPMG’s email system before producing a report three months later. Allens described its report as “almost celestial sophistry” and failed to address the whistleblower’s claims. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services said the hearings also highlighted the role of former KPMG chairman Martin Sheppard, successor Michael Ebeid, and former CEO Andrew Yates in the audit scandals.
