Senator Paul Scarr criticises the leadership of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’s CEO, Ainslie van Onselen, saying KPMG is “falling short” on aspects of its work, though he stops short of describing the firm’s performance as “failing.” The comments are presented as part of parliamentary scrutiny of how major professional services firms meet expected standards.
Across outlets, the reporting focuses on Scarr’s direct questioning of van Onselen rather than on any single incident or document. Each source frames the exchange as a challenge to whether KPMG’s approach and outcomes align with the responsibilities of the accounting and advisory sector. While the outlets use the same core phrasing to describe Scarr’s stance—“falling short” but “not failing”—they do not provide materially different details about specific allegations or outcomes. The emphasis remains on the tone and intent of Scarr’s critique during questioning.
