Scandals & Reckonings
Cartels, frauds and the Royal Commissions that followed — the business misconduct that made it into the public record.
Price-fixing, wage theft, money-laundering inquiries, oil-for-wheat: some of Australia’s biggest companies have had their day of reckoning. We cover these strictly from the public record — court findings, regulator actions and Royal Commissions — and attribute every claim.
Latest in on the record
- Freedom Foods to Noumi: inside the write-down that gutted a food stock
How Freedom Foods went from ASX darling to a $590m write-down and a rebrand as Noumi, and what the regulators found along the way.
By Colin Ashworth - The Plutus Payroll fraud: how a payroll company became a $105m tax scheme
Inside the Plutus Payroll fraud: the second-tier company structure that siphoned PAYG withholding tax, the arrests, and what the courts found.
By Colin Ashworth - Qantas and the sacked ground crew: what the High Court actually found
The High Court found Qantas broke the law by outsourcing 1,700 ground handling jobs. Here's what the courts found, and what it didn't decide.
By Colin Ashworth - Star Entertainment: what the inquiries found, and what the licence cost
The Bell review and state inquiries into Star Entertainment exposed years of money-laundering failures. Here's what was found, and what it cost the casino group.
By Colin Ashworth - The PwC tax leak: how confidential Treasury advice ended up helping clients dodge new laws
How confidential government tax-policy consultations at PwC were allegedly used to help clients sidestep new anti-avoidance laws, and what the Senate inquiry and fallout revealed.
By Colin Ashworth - Rio Tinto Juukan Gorge: how one blast ended three careers
Rio Tinto destroyed 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge. Here is what the parliamentary inquiry found and how it ended three executive careers.
By Colin Ashworth - The Firepower fuel pill scheme that collapsed
The Firepower fuel pill promised big savings and sponsored Australian sport, then collapsed owing hundreds of millions. Here is how ASIC pursued its director.
By Colin Ashworth - James Hardie asbestos: the compensation scandal
The James Hardie asbestos compensation scandal, from the 2001 foundation to the Jackson inquiry, court findings and the 2007 funding deal. A public record.
By Colin Ashworth - Crown Resorts: what the inquiries found, and what it cost
Crown Resorts was found unsuitable to hold casino licences by three inquiries. Here is what the Bergin Inquiry and its successors found, and what changed.
By Colin Ashworth - The Hayne Royal Commission: what it found, and what changed
The Hayne Royal Commission exposed systemic misconduct in Australian finance. Here is what Commissioner Hayne found and what the law required afterwards.
By Colin Ashworth - AWB oil-for-wheat scandal: the Saddam kickbacks
The oil-for-wheat scandal explained: the Cole Inquiry found AWB paid about $290 million in kickbacks to Iraq's regime, breaching UN sanctions.
By Colin Ashworth - CBA and AUSTRAC: how 53,750 breaches led to a record penalty
CBA and AUSTRAC settled for $700 million in 2018 over 53,750 anti-money-laundering contraventions. Here is what the record penalty revealed about compliance.
By Colin Ashworth