Carlton boss Luke Sayers’ ‘leadership failures’ exposed

A scathing report has unleashed on Carlton president Luke Sayers over his “extensive leadership failures” while he was running PwC.

Carlton president Luke Sayers. Picture: Michael Klein

Carlton president Luke Sayers’ “truthfulness” about the PwC scandal that happened under his watch has been questioned in a scathing report.

A Senate committee released an interim report into its investigation into how PwC sold secret tax advice to clients for profit on Wednesday.

The 48-page document included 44 mentions of Mr Sayers, who made $30 million from PwC where he was chief executive before setting up his own consulting firm.

“The committee is concerned about the truthfulness of some of the evidence it has received and is left questioning the credibility of Mr Sayers’ evidence,” the report said.

“Taken together, the evidence points to the unethical behaviour in PwC being ignored by senior leadership during Mr Sayers term as CEO and subsequently.”

Carlton president Luke Sayers. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Sayers evidence in relation to a meeting with Australian Taxation Office second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn was closely examined in the report.

Mr Hirschhorn said he had told Mr Sayers in detail about how PwC was passing on confidential details about proposed tax laws to clients.

But Mr Sayers denied that during hearings.

“Senior representatives of the ATO were so concerned about the culture and practices at the tax consultancy arm of PwC, and its impact on Australia’s tax system, that they spoke directly to Mr Sayers about these matters,” the report said.

“It is implausible to the committee that Mr Sayers could not recall these matters being raised with him.”

The Finance and Public Administrations References Committee report was titled “PwC: The Coverup Worsens the Crime”.

A final report into PwC, which turned over $76 billion AUD last year, was expected in May.

PwC sold its billion dollar government advice business for $1 following revelations last year, which was rebranded Scyne Advisory.

Mr Sayers said on Wednesday: “This report confirms that the misconduct was not identified until well after I left PwC.

“I reject the opinions and editorial commentary in the report.”

Senator Deborah O’Neill questioning Mr Sayers at a Senate inquiry. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Labor Senator Deborah O’Neill questioned Mr Sayers last year.

“This report clearly lays out extensive leadership failures of former PwC Australia CEO’s Mr Luke Sayers,” Ms O’Neill said on Wednesday.

“The report highlights both the immense failures of leadership, professionalism and ethics which enabled the tax leaks scandal to occur in the first place, and the gross failures of professional accountability which saw it go unacknowledged and unpunished for so long.

“It remains my goal to ensure that PwC’s desire to minimise its losses does not come at the cost of full transparency with respect to their wrongdoing.”

Mr Sayers was granted an extension as Carlton president during a tense board meeting in February.

He was challenged about his time at PwC by three Carlton members who asked questions about his leadership and his investment in a company that processed visas.

However, he was given the extra year, with only five votes against his presidency.

Mr Sayers has now set up his own consulting firm, Sayers, which won a contract to give advice on how to upgrade the MCG’s Shane Warne stand.

Former Premier Daniel Andrews said in August 2023 that Mr Sayers was a friend when responding to questions about the PwC scandal.

“I very rarely deal with him on professional terms,” Mr Andrews said at the time.

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Originally published as Carlton boss Luke Sayers’ ‘leadership failures’ exposed