Good morning. Consultancy firm EY is being taken to task for a lack of disclosure, after not telling officials that it was conducting work for Santos before being paid to assist the New South Wales government’s “future of gas statement” that paved the way for the Narrabri gas development. EY denies any conflict of interest, but NSW’s minister for natural resources says there’s a need to overhaul the use of consultants in the public service.
Meanwhile, we now know who the Matildas will face in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday: France, who cruised past Morocco last night. Plus: aviation industry sources claim Qatar Airways has been “taking the piss” by flying empty or near-empty “ghost flights” in Australia to exploit a legal loophole. And it’s been confirmed that July was the world’s hottest month ever – by a big margin.
