Standing Committee on Economics

It’s rare that an inquiry finds no evidence of harm from a practice and still recommends against it – but that’s the path the standing committee on economics has gone down. The standing committee on economics’ inquiry into common ownership was most notable for beingone of the few inquiries of that body that regularly ended…

The Morrison Government has so-called “$12 trustees” in its crosshairs after they amended trust deeds to levy members for potential penalties. But APRA believes funds might collapse without them. The Morrison Government’s amendment to Section 56 of the SIS Act was intended to prevent super funds from paying penalties using member money, but – as…

The accusations of insider trading hurled at Australia’s big super funds are explosive in nature – and pose something of a headscratcher. Regardless of their weight, reputations are at stake. The revelations made by ASIC on Wednesday last week (October 27) are a tough wake-up call for an industry that prides itself on its duty…

The inquiry into common ownership has given us that rarest of things: a moment of bipartisan stupidity. There are so many wonderful ways to waste taxpayer money. You can use it to pay for business-class flights to Canberra, or Craig Kelly-style political stunts, or even give it away to profitable multinational corporations in the middle…