ASIC chief clings on as expenses scandal hits

John Kehoe and Ronald Mizen

Updated Oct 23, 2020 – 6.15pm, first published at 1.13pm

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Australia's top corporate watchdog James Shipton is under pressure to keep his job after stepping aside for an investigation into payments of more than $180,000 to cover the cost of managing his tax affairs and rental payments for a deputy boss.

The federal government's auditor criticised the size of payments the Australian Securities and Investments Commission made for work relocation expenses, including $118,557 for KPMG tax services to help Mr Shipton move from the United States to lead ASIC in 2018.

John Kehoe is economics editor at Parliament House, Canberra. He writes on economics, politics and business. John was Washington correspondent covering Donald Trump’s first election. He joined the Financial Review in 2008 from Treasury.

Ronald Mizen is the Financial Review’s political correspondent, reporting from the press gallery at Parliament House, Canberra.