Evil Anna takes SA bank to High Court (no comment on Terror Bank)

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This woman has to resign to save her soul:

Sydney, 22 August 2017: Australia’s major banks have resolved to mount a challenge to the SA bank tax if it is legislated, the Australian Bankers’ Association announced today.

“The South Australian Government will face a High Court challenge if it introduces its proposed bank tax,” ABA Chief Executive Anna Bligh said.

“South Australia is a state that needs to create more jobs and encourage businesses to invest, not introduce new taxes,” she said.

Recent polls of more than 2000 voters and 400 business owners in South Australia showed widespread opposition to the tax and concern about its impact on jobs.

“Banks are campaigning against the tax because it is not in the interests of South Australians, and they are prepared to fight it in court,” Ms Bligh said.

“Other states will also face a Constitutional challenge in the High Court if they propose to single out banks for new taxes.

“There is no justification for new taxes on Australia’s major banks. Banks are already the nation’s largest taxpayers, contributing $14 billion in taxes last year.

“On top of that, banks paid $26 billion in dividends to shareholders and superannuation funds in 2016.

“That’s a benefit to almost every working Australian and new taxes on banks will erode this benefit,” she said.

And what of Terror Bank, Anna? No comment beyond the motherhood statements at the press club just days before…

Real change in big institutions always starts at the top and just over 100 days in, I believe that the leadership of our major banks are up for the task.

In my first hundred days I have been encouraged that the industry is serious about delivering change.

I am utterly convinced that the industry’s reform agenda today is as ambitious as at any time in its history. There’s a lot of work to do but if the implementation is as good as the intent, then I think great things can be achieved.

And that will be good for customers and the community, so let me turn to people.

Hmm, not Mr Narev…

About the author
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geo-politics and economics portal. He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.