Andrews government spent $671 million across departments on consultants over a five-year period, new data reveals
The Andrews government spent more than half a billion dollars on consultants over the past five years, according to fresh data from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office.
New figures from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office has revealed the state government spent $671 million on consultants over the last five years.
The data, released on Thursday, showed the massive sums spent on the external consultants by nine government departments from 2017-18 until 2021-22.
It comes ahead of an audit into contractors and consultants in the Victorian public service, set to be tabled in the third quarter of this year.
That audit will determine whether government departments “accurately record, monitor, and transparently report” spending on contractors and consultants.
Of the $671 million spent, $362 million was given to the top five companies listed.
Out of the 1,150 vendors used, big four firms KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young, and Deloitte were frequented the most.
Boston Consulting Group came in at fifth, followed by Nous Group Pty Ltd and Clayton Utz.
The government spent a massive $117,468,354 on consultants from KPMG, and $79,695,151 from the under-fire PwC.
The firm has been in the spotlight since revelations its former head of international tax for PwC Australia Peter Collins allegedly leaked details relating to a crackdown on multinational tax avoidance.
New figures from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office has revealed the state government spent $671 million on consultants over the last five years.
The data, released on Thursday, showed the massive sums spent on the external consultants by nine government departments from 2017-18 until 2021-22.
It comes ahead of an audit into contractors and consultants in the Victorian public service, set to be tabled in the third quarter of this year.
New figures from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office reveal that the state government spent $671 million on consultants over the last five years. Picture NCA NewsWire / Aaron Francis
New figures from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office reveal that the state government spent $671 million on consultants over the last five years. Picture NCA
That audit will determine whether government departments “accurately record, monitor, and transparently report” spending on contractors and consultants.
Of the $671 million spent, $362 million was given to the top five companies listed.
Out of the 1,150 vendors used, big four firms KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young, and Deloitte were frequented the most.
Boston Consulting Group came in at fifth, followed by Nous Group Pty Ltd and Clayton Utz.
The government spent a massive $117,468,354 on consultants from KPMG, and $79,695,151 from the under-fire PwC.
The firm has been in the spotlight since revelations its former head of international tax for PwC Australia Peter Collins allegedly leaked details relating to a crackdown on multinational tax avoidance.
PwC has since handed over the names of 63 partners and staff who received an email with leaked confidential information on the government’s multinational tax policy.
It also handed over the names of the nine partners who were forced to take leave last week in the wake of the scandal.
In the wake of the Victorian Auditor-General’s data release, Greens MP Ellen Sandell demanded the Andrews government freeze any contracts with PwC.
“Just dropped: this is how much Victorian Labor Government spent on consultants in the last 5 years (including more than $50m on PwC),” she wrote on Twitter.
“Given the recent tax leaks, we’re calling on the Premier to announce a freeze on PwC contracts with Vic Gov.”
The data released on Thursday showed a gradual increase in government spending on consultants.
In the year 2017-18, $109,818,525 of taxpayer funds were spent.
That figure dropped slightly in 2018-19 to $100,698,696 before rising again to $125,535,281 in 2019-20.
In the two financial years that followed, spending ballooned out to $167 million.
https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/andrews-government-spent-671-million-across-departments-on-consultants-over-a-fiveyear-period-new-data-reveals/news-story/1c17f15e3b9574da69b8146ff9d30cd8