The conflicts of interest in government outsourcing and misuse of information

Deloitte, one of the prominent “Big Four” consultancy firms, finds itself embroiled in controversy yet again: this time, the spotlight is on allegations of conflicts of interest and the misuse of sensitive government information acquired during its consultancies with the federal government.

The unfolding scandal bears a striking resemblance to the breaches that came to light earlier this year involving another leading firm, PwC. As the revelations continue to emerge, they are mostly uncovered through the relentless efforts of Australian Green Senator Barbara Pocock and Labor Senator Deborah O’Neill, who have formed the most formidable Parliamentary tag-team since Senators Robert Ray and John Faulkner in 1990s, and forensically probed the issue in Senate estimates.