Legal costs in whistleblower litigation
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A cornerstone of Australia's great strength is our social cohesion.
The lady who helps me at our local IGA may not earn as much as my neighbour the banker, but she is doing ok. Her children attend the same excellent local public school as the banker's kids. And when she or her child is sick, she attends the same public hospital, with exactly the same wonderful level of care, as the banker does. And Australia provides a social safety net for the weak, elderly, and infirmed. These strands, woven together, underpin our social cohesion.
A successful and prosperous democracy like ours considers these things - universal health care, access to quality education, a living wage, and a social safety net - essential for our communities and our society.
Odd, then, that Australia has failed to acknowledge and embrace the concept of protecting those who call out wrongdoing. I called a $200m tax fraud for all of us. The ATO has collected half, and will get the balance.
My name is Tony Watson. I am a tax lawyer and a whistleblower.
I became aware of three tax rorts which Lendlease was carrying out. The largest, and the one which has received media attention, is in its retirement living business, where Lendlease was double dipping on its tax deductions.
In April 2022, I commenced an action under our whistleblower laws against Lendlease and my former employer, which is now part of PwC.
The creed of the whistleblower is that what gives light must endure the burning. But it should not be so. Litigation in Australia, for an individual taking on big institutions like Lendlease and PwC, is a daunting prospect.
I have carried the matter to where evidence is now filed, and we will turn to discovery and the trial.
I am asking for your help to finish the job.
The estimated fees till the end of the trial is $300,000
My wife Sue and I have lost our house, my superannuation, and our savings. And yet we push on.
I ask you to help us get to the finish line.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-cost-of-blowing-the-whistle/news-story/6f76d16fd861419b070906cc48c981bf
Organizer
Anthony Watson
Organizer
Dolls Point, NSW