Picture: KPMGLabor senator Deborah O'Neill has taken a swipe at incoming KPMG chief executive John Sams. The embattled consulting giant announced its former chief financial officer would take over as chief executive starting on Tuesday. But Senator O'Neill, who used her parliamentary privilege to start an investigation into KPMG, slammed the appointment. In March 2026, Senator O'Neill used her parliamentary privilege to read out an email by a whistleblower who was fired by KPMG for raising concerns into the matter. KPMG said Mr Sams' appointment came after a rigorous process that included interviews with the international network and external candidates.