Australia

Government should exercise its regulatory role more strictly, said former Prime Minister Paul Keating.

In an effort to safeguard bank deposits, NAB looks forward to sell US$500 million in hybrid tier 1 to investors in Europe and Asia.

Yet despite his 6 percent salary rise, CBA chief Ralph Norris' short-term incentives were cut by 10 percent due to the bank's 1 percent slide in net profit.

The transaction aims to help ING pay its US$14.25 billion debt from the Dutch government.

Aussie Banks ready to wean themselves off the government guarantee on wholesale bank lending, ANZ Chief Mike Smith says.

First it was the NAB. Now the big four aussie banks are looking at cutting account withdrawn fees to appease customers.

ANZ Directors have chosen John Morschel to succeed Charles Goode as new chairman by February 2010.

Goldman Sachs is not known for getting the bad end of a deal, so it may be a surprise to learn Australia's NAB is buying its wealth management business for A$99 million.

ANZ appointed Joyce Phillips as Group Managing Director Strategy, M&A, Marketing and Innovation and will be part of ANZ’s Management Board.

Telstra has deployed a Salmat VeCommerce voice biometric solution, VeSecure, at the National Australia Bank—a first for the Australian banking industry.

Over the next few months Members Equity Bank will gradually introduce a new logo and colours to remind bankers that it is theirs.

ANZ appointed Susan Yuen and Vishnu Mohan as Chief Executive Officers of Hong Kong and North West Pacific, respectively. Mohan will also be ANZ’s Managing Director in Papua New Guinea.

NAB deployed a voice biometric identification and verification function aimed at delivering enhanced customer experience and security.

St.George Bank of Australia will reduce monthly account service fee from US$5.6 to US$4 per month. Additionally customers who deposit at least US$1610 per month into their account will have their monthly account service fee waived.

Regulators have lifted the ban on short selling bank stocks in Australia, and not surprisingly the prices fell.

HSBC has appointed Paulo Maia, currently Deputy CEO of HSBC Brazil, as CEO of HSBC Bank Australia. The new appointment will come into effect on 1 July 2009. Paulo Maia replaces Stuart Davis, who has been appointed CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in India.