The federal government has extended its pause on KPMG bidding for new government work until February 28, 2027. The decision follows an independent review by Ian Watt, which found serious ethical failings by some senior KPMG members and significant cultural concerns within the firm. KPMG chief executive John Sams and chairman Michael Ebeid said they accepted the findings. During the pause, KPMG must provide an implementation plan and quarterly progress reports. Several states and territories have also banned KPMG from public sector work pending their own reviews.
Liberal MP Ray Williams has announced he will not contest the 2027 NSW state election. He told parliament the decision came with a heavy personal toll. Williams said he would do it all again, and that whistleblowers are often shunned. In 2022, his late-night parliamentary speech alleged that senior Liberal figures were paid by property developer Jean Nassif to install favourable councillors on Hills Shire Council. The speech launched a years-long Independent Commission Against Corruption investigation into the party, developers and local government.
Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning revisits the Facebook story he wrote for The Social Network, now focusing on a 2021 exposé based on leaked internal documents. Mikey Madison plays Facebook staffer Frances Haugen, who worries about the company spreading conspiracy theories and extremist material, while Jeremy Allen White plays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. Jeremy Strong's caricatured Mark Zuckerberg prepares for a congressional hearing. The film is dialogue-driven and treats its whistleblower and journalist as heroes, ending on a note of misplaced optimism.
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Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning covers the events leading to the 2021 Facebook leak, led by whistleblower Frances Haugen and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. The reviewer calls the film entertaining and urgent, praising its focus on journalism and team effort. Mikey Madison is singled out for her standout performance as Haugen. Jeremy Strong's portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg is described as one-note, offering little emotional range. The review awards the film three out of five stars.
Aaron Sorkin's new film, The Social Reckoning, explores how Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz exposed the platform's harmful effects. The film reveals that 64 per cent of people who joined extremist groups on Facebook were sent there by the platform, and 32 per cent of teen girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies. Sorkin directs and writes the drama, which presents Facebook's algorithm as designed to boost angry content to keep users engaged.
