Jozef Imrich, name worthy of Kafka, has his finger on the pulse of any irony of interest and shares his findings to keep you in-the-know with the savviest trend setters and infomaniacs.
''I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.''
-Kurt Vonnegut
Senator Deborah O'Neillhas issued a stern warning to senior PwC staff requested to appear at an upcoming hearing into the ethics and behaviour of consulting firms.
Ms O'Neill has called current Australian chief executive Kevin Burrowes, as well as former heads Luke Sayers and Tom Seymour and members of PwC's international leadership, including Mohamed Kande, global chair of the firm, to the committee hearing on Friday, August 2.
In a sign the committee is intent on investigating how the tax leaks scandal extends beyond Australian shores and the committee's dissatisfaction with PwC's refusal to release the Linklaters report into overseas partners' involvement, Ms O'Neill said the full truth had to come out.
"The time has come for PwC to stop its half-truths and obfuscation and tell the full story to the Australian people," Ms O'Neill said
It is the first time Mr Kande has been called to appear before the committee, as part of the ongoing inquiry into who knew what at the firm.
Former global head of PwC Bob Moritz was also asked to appear before the Senate committee that investigated the same scandal. He declined to appear in March this year.
Parliament can compel individuals within Australia to attend hearings, but the same powers do not extend overseas.
In a report handed down by the Senate committee in June, the first recommendation was PwC be "open and honest" by publishing accurate information about the involvement of PwC partners who shared confidential information.
Ms O'Neill reiterated this position this week, saying the joint committee would be attempting to get behind "frivolous" claims of legal professional privilege, which PwC has used to prevent the Linklaters report from being released.
"Beyond the tax leaks scandal, the committee seeks to understand how PwC has used frivolous claims of legal professional privilege and creative structures to try to quarantine its international network from the legitimate questions of the Australian parliament," she said.
As chair of the joint committee, Ms O'Neill reminded those who will attend of the importance of "providing complete and accurate information".
PwC chief executive Kevin Burrowes told a Senate committee earlier this year he was earning less than he actually was. Picture by Gary Ramage
Pointing out Mr Burrowes provided three different figures of his total salary in the first six months of this year, Ms O'Neill said: "In light of these clarifications, the committee stresses its expectation that witnesses provide accurate and complete evidence, and notes that a failure to do so can amount to a contempt of the parliament."
In February, Mr Burrowes told the committee his salary was $2.4 million, which was later clarified to be $2.8 million, before revealing on July 1 in response to a question on notice his actual salary was $4 million, excluding a potential bonus.
Federal Political Reporter at The Canberra Times "CONNOR PEARCE" TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT NEW PAGES ON "CONNOR PEARCE".
Federal Political Reporter working for The Canberra Times from the parliamentary press gallery. Something to get off your chest? Connor.pearce@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Great predictable thinkers are often prescient in their pronouncements, and Hannah Arendt is one of the greats...
This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.
A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies.
