The Financial System Inquiry Interim Report was issued today There are few surprises in the options and comments although there are some significant omissions There does not appear to be any push for a significant shift in policy or in the regulation of the financial system There will be adjustments ...

The National Partnership Agreement on Asset Recycling between the Commonwealth and each of the states and territories firmly entrenches asset recycling for the next five years at least In last nights Budget the Federal Budget announced 5 billion will be made available to fund payments to the states ...

The PRC Government is reforming its corporate regulatory approval processes at an unprecedented rate The changes are aimed at facilitating private sector investment including foreign direct investment in order to move towards a more market-driven economy Over the past four months new regulations ...

A one stop shop for Commonwealth and state environmental approvals in Queensland and New South Wales is a step closer with the release of draft Approval Bilateral Agreements If implemented as planned Queensland and New South Wales will each become responsible for assessing and approving projects for ...

Whether or not to more broadly adopt a user-pays model for road infrastructure is a contentious debate within Australia A number of industry participants and bodies have shown leadership in framing and enriching the debate while others have sought to politicise or inflame the core issues Partner ...

A principal has successfully challenged a decision to grant an interlocutory injunction restraining it from calling on performance bonds ...

Regulators particularly in the UK and Australia are increasingly interested in corporate culture in the financial services industry its impact on the integrity of the system and what the regulators are doing to try to entrench a corporate culture that works for the benefit of consumers and investors ...

This week ASIC flagged a change in its approach to the exercise of its power to make orders to recover expenses and costs associated with investigations Information Sheet 204 indicates that ASIC will be making greater use of this power to seek recovery of its costs from individuals and companies ...

The Victorian Government has released new guidelines that provide the framework for how it will assess unsolicited proposals from the private sector, but the key issues remain the same: timing, uniqueness, value for money, and confidentiality/intellectual property protection. ...

Last night the Senate Economics Legislation Committee released its report on the Corporations Amendment Streamlining of Future of Financial Advice Bill 2014 The Committees recommendations could lead to changes in the treatment of scaled advice and general advice Partner Michelle Levy and Senior ...