Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand chairman John Palermo might have predicted that the body’s warning of a gender pay gap that surges to an average of 60 per cent among partners would prompt some backlash. But he probably didn’t expect it to come from the man he replaced.

On LinkedIn, Tony Harrington has called on the Ainslie van Onselen-led body to immediately withdraw its latest remuneration survey. And to issue an apology for the “misleading” and “publicity-seeking” exercise, “before further damage is done to the standing of the profession in Australia and New Zealand”.