Report critical of big four consultancies was censored by Australian government agency, academic claims

Peter Carey tells inquiry he was asked by Accounting Standards Board to omit details because partners from PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY sat on the board

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A government agency allegedly censored a major study that was critical of the big four consultancy firms because their partners sat on its board, according to the academic who wrote the report.

The allegation, made during a parliamentary inquiry into the ethics and professional standards of the consulting industry, has led to questions about potential “regulatory capture” and possible undue influence.