The Department of Climate Change and Water has handed disgraced consultancy KPMG an opaque $62,800 contract in connection to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Investigations by The Klaxon reveal a string of irregularities around the deal, including the department inexplicably quietly changing the description of the contract in recent days.
Like fellow “Big Four” consultancy giant PwC, KPMG has been mired in string of major controversies, including charging taxpayers for non-existent work and its CEO Andrew Yates giving false information to a Senate inquiry.
Two weeks ago, on July 8, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) disclosed to Federal tender registry Austender it had awarded the contract, which was for “consultancy”.
It was titled “National Anti-Corruption Commission” and the reason for the contract stated as “need for independent research or assessment”.
Last Thursday The Klaxon contacted both the department and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) asking about the deal.
Searches the following day showed the contract name and description had been changed in the official database, which the department and its boss, Secretary David Fredericks, refused to explain.
The NACC told The Klaxon it knew nothing of the contract.
“The Commission is not involved with and has no knowledge of the tender,” it said in a statement.