A parliamentary inquiry has heard a senior public servant met the owners of Synergy 360 at the home of a co-owner while the firm was advising clients on Services Australia contracts.
An inquiry into Commonwealth contracts totalling $374 million can compel witnesses to appear and seek documents beyond the scope of previous reviews.
Emails show controversial consulting firm Synergy 360 received behind-the-scenes support from the MP to lobby a parliamentary committee.
The revelations about the conflict of interest issues surrounding Services Australia’s dealings with Synergy 360 come after the release of a review calling for an investigation into contracts worth $374 million.
Federal officials spent $374 million on contracts tainted by concerns over conflicts of interest and inadequate records,according to an internal review.
The former minister said he wasn’t permitted to tell the truth about the unlawfulness of robo-debt,a week after urging Scott Morrison to shut the program down.
A culture of reward and punishment could have led senior officers to stay quiet about the unlawful robo-debt scheme,a royal commission has been told.
Special Minister of State Don Farrell said the government had not ruled out referring the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The consulting firm that gained secret advice from former minister Stuart Robert has still not registered as a lobbyist,sparking criticism in Senate estimates.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten told parliament he would ask an “eminent Australian” to review Infosys’s $274 million worth of contracts.
It is now clear that Stuart Robert was in touch with his friends’ consulting firm while he was a cabinet minister and had inside knowledge about contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.