The chief executives of Australia’s big four banks are locked in for a parliamentary grilling, with the newest boss the one likely to face the most heat.
The use of AI, surcharging, scam protection practices and more will be on the agenda when leaders of Australia’s biggest banks arrive in Canberra for committee hearings.
The re-elected Albanese government is continuing its practice of inviting the more important lending executives for annual talks.
On Tuesday, Commonwealth boss Matt Comyn and Westpac’s Anthony Miller will face the music, before ANZ’s Nuno Matos and Andrew Irvine of NAB take the hot seat.
On recent evidence, Mr Matos – the Portuguese executive who took up the role in May – might have most cause to sweat.
In September, the financial regulator asked courts to slug the Melbourne-headquartered bank with $240 million in fines for misconduct in services offered to 65,000 customers and incorrectly reporting bond trading data to the government.
ASIC chair Joe Longo said the bank had a history of non-compliance and betrayed the trust of Australia.
Despite that fine being the highest in ASIC’s history, Ed Husic, the chair of the committee the banks will face this week, believes they got off lightly.
“It should have been higher,” the Labor MP told AAP.
Mr Husic said while that issue would be tough, other areas could be worked through more amicably.
“At its best, the committee will provide an environment to be able to explore issues and have the back and forth between the banks and the committee,” he said.
“From a lot of customers’ point of view, the impact of surcharging, and the value of the money that they hold not being eroded by fees and surcharging. That’s really important.
“The protection from scams and fraud, and the way in which the banks are managing that and the scams, and the way in which the scams framework will be implemented.
“And I think that quite different to other hearings, the focus on artificial intelligence is quite different given the way that the banks have really ramped up its use.”
Mr Husic said he was pleased the top banking leaders hadn’t handballed the trip to Canberra to more junior executives.
“The chief executives of all the big four banks will be in attendance,” he said.
“It’s a sign of how seriously they take the committee and, obviously, the fact that the committee has re-started its inquiries is a sign the government takes the transparency offered by this process seriously as well.”
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