Regulation

The respected lawyer will not see out his contract with the corporate regulator after accepting a role in the commercial sector.

The ATO recently announced a rule review that could see the cost of advice fees become tax deductible, a change many in the industry say would expand access to quality financial advice by making it more affordable.

In a special sitting Thursday, Parliament will vote on proposed price caps for coal and gas, which the government says will help curb soaring energy bills. Producers, which oppose the plan, have already seen their share prices drop.

The corporate regulator reports it has issued 21 stop orders against companies over marketing of financial products since new design and distribution obligations went into effect last October, with the rate of enforcement picking up in recent months.

The regulator’s recent removal of a controversial $500,000 minimum-balance guidance for self-managed superannuation funds provides an opportunity to re-engage with lower-balance funds that have been steered away from SMSFs, the SMSF Association says.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is making good on promises to combat greenwashing, issuing its second set of fines against a company for misrepresenting the ESG bona fides of an investment product.

The most contentious aspect of the federal government’s new industrial relations rules centres on multi-employer bargaining, which critics say will create wage pressure and add to inflation. There is some common ground, however.

The long-running project has been shelved after a devastating Accenture report cited multiple areas of concern. ASIC chair Joe Longo said the ASX “failed to demonstrate appropriate control”.

Clanz COO Stuart Burnicle believes Australia will see wider crypto adoption, despite running well behind many other countries in regulation.

With the new federal budget forecasting skyrocketing energy prices, the government is under increasing pressure to intervene. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has ruled out government handouts and is seeking regulatory solutions.

The financial services minister is looking at tackling scammers at the source: “Does our barista down the corner really need my email address, my bank details, my name and my mobile phone number just to buy a cup of coffee?”

A new report has identified “blanket de-banking” of certain sectors, and reminded the banks that commerciality must be balanced with corporate social responsibility.