- Scott-Howman says that lessons can be taken from what’s happened in Australia, and that New Zealand’s regulators are adept enough at asking the right questions without needing a full-scale enquiry.
- The Bankers Association said it has responded to regulators in a letter setting out the regulatory and market difference between Australia and New Zealand and said it has current work underway “to maintain public trust and confidence in the New Zealand banking sector.”
- “I think our customers should be confident that there is a strong banking culture here. But I totally respect that people want to have evidence of that,” Ms Scott-Howman said.
- “The major banks have already made changes to their remuneration policies to ensure retail staff no longer receive incentives based directly on sales performance, or are in the process of doing so,” she said.
- “We believe we have a strong banking culture in New Zealand. We fully accept we need to back up that position with proof, and we’re happy to work openly and constructively with our regulators to do that,” said association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman.
- “In New Zealand we have very effective regulators, and they’ve asked banks to provide them evidence that there’s no problem and we’re very willing to do that,” Mr McLean said.
- “Our customers can be assured no systemic issues have been identified to date and can have confidence in the New Zealand banking system overall. We fully support the ongoing efforts of our regulators to examine our conduct and call us to account.”
- New Zealand Bankers’ Association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman said New Zealand’s regulatory environment was very different from that in Australia. “The New Zealand financial services sector — banking, wealth management, superannuation, KiwiSaver and insurance — is well managed, well regulated and has high levels of customer trust and confidence.”
