Via Banking Day:
The latest reconnaissance report by Ian McPhee for the Australian Bankers Association on the sector’s 2016 measures to fend off intrusions throws a soft light on the sector, with topics of controversy, delay or push back pared down to the point of obscurity.
One of those topics is the lack of consensus among banks on the last resort compensation scheme for financial advice claims, with the banking industry cool on the broad scheme championed by the wider financial services sector.
Mcphee, a former auditor-General and the ABA’s “independent governance expert” considered the importance of that controversy in the same manner as the rest; the commentary measured leaning to the earnestly polite.
To that extent, McPhee filtered out colour and interpretation in his fourth report, a change in tone from his third report in January.
McPhee’s most negative points were similar to those made by the ABA’s chief executive, Anna Bligh, during her first few weeks in the job.
“Twelve months into the industry’s package of initiatives, it is clear that many in the community still need to be persuaded about the intent of the banks to make real change and move the dial on protecting consumer interests, increasing transparency and accountability, and ultimately building trust and confidence in banks,” McPhee wrote.
Then another echo on the plus side: “Real progress is evident in the development of the various measures and in the attitudes of individual banks in progressing changes in bank policies and approaches.
“An illustration of the willingness of individual banks to consider their position on the reform measures is that all of the participating banks that are not current signatories to the code having committed to at least reassessing their position in relation to adoption of the new code. Further I have been advised that other banks have accelerated implementation of some of the measures ahead of the timeline proposed in the implementation plan.”
There’s a “getting on with the job” tone to the McPhee report.
“Banks continue to make good progress in implementing measures under each of the initiatives, moving ahead of industry-level positions in some cases,” McPhee said.
“A number of significant measures have been implemented during the quarter, including the customer advocate by all but two banks, whistleblower protections by the major banks and some smaller banks as well as initial changes to the remuneration structures relating to product sales commissions and product based payments in some banks.”
McPhee said that “in light of the recently released Sedgwick Review, all banks are expected to review their remuneration policies and practices,” which he said was “central.”
A “significant amount of work still needs to be done,” on the “Better Banking” project, he said, “particularly as the demands of progressing the initiatives shift from industry level milestones to individual bank-level milestones and implementation of new practices and other changes in each bank.”
All McPhee’s key interlocutors at each bank on message, the reviewer praising sector CEOs for “delivering the package of initiatives, and working with the ABA to progress the reforms. “
Fake government: fake inquiry; fake regulation; fake public servant; fake premier and fake coverage from an unquestioning media. They just need a fake army to complete their fake, bank-utopian, society.
Ingenious really.
