Anti-money laundering laws must cover lawyers and accountants
Yet the Herald’s reporting this week on global tax evasion schemes suggests these two examples are the tip of the iceberg. While national regulators, such as the Australian Tax Office and Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), appear to be tackling the problems, the federal government needs to do more to regulate the lawyers, accountants and other professional enablers who lawfully facilitate the global flow of black cash.
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Unfortunately, those involved in setting up and managing the international cash transfers can operate with relative impunity because of gaping holes in Australian law.
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The OECD is about to start another round of assessments to identify countries which have failed to comply with the rules. If he gets the job, Senator Cormann will have to ask why the government in which he served has failed to do what it has promised for more than a decade.