Review of Mortgage Broker Remuneration- Joint Submission
Submission to: The Treasury
Related Projects
Australian Banking Association Application for ACCC Authorisation re Financial Relief Programs April 2020
Submission to: ACCC
Joint consumer group submission (led by the Consumers Federation of Australia) in response to an application by the Australian Banking Association and its member banks, for authorisation by the ACCC for banks to agree on the minimum standards for consumer financial relief programs and to promote customers’ access to banking services in an environment where social distancing is in place. We support both of these applications. In relation to financial relief we suggest that the ACCC’s final authorisation require that banks consult with consumer groups about their content and that there be public reporting about the outcomes of these programs.
Joint consumer group submission (led by the Consumers Federation of Australia) in response to an application by the Australian Banking Association and its member banks, for authorisation by the ACCC for banks to agree on the minimum standards for consumer financial relief programs and to promote customers’ access to banking services in an environment where social distancing is in place. We support both of these applications. In relation to financial relief we suggest that the ACCC’s final authorisation require that banks consult with consumer groups about their content and that there be public reporting about the outcomes of these programs.
Corporate Insolvency
Submission to: Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services
Drawing on the casework experience of the Small Business Debt Helpline (www.sbdh.org.au) the submission notes that the both Small Business Restructuring Reforms and Simplified Liquidation Reforms have had little impact. Our recommendations include that director guarantees be bound within restructuring proposal terms, the establishment of a government-funded corporate winding-up service operated by ASIC, expanding the limit on unfair preference claims of $30K against unrelated creditors from simplified liquidation to all creditor voluntary liquidations and court liquidations, and a voucher system providing access to accounting, business and legal advice for vulnerable small businesses.
Drawing on the casework experience of the Small Business Debt Helpline (www.sbdh.org.au) the submission notes that the both Small Business Restructuring Reforms and Simplified Liquidation Reforms have had little impact. Our recommendations include that director guarantees be bound within restructuring proposal terms, the establishment of a government-funded corporate winding-up service operated by ASIC, expanding the limit on unfair preference claims of $30K against unrelated creditors from simplified liquidation to all creditor voluntary liquidations and court liquidations, and a voucher system providing access to accounting, business and legal advice for vulnerable small businesses.