Welcome to Australian Banking Daily’s Czar Report for November — a high-level policy outlook for the month ahead, exclusive for subscribers. 

We'll bring the popcorn

By Charis Palmer

November is shaping up to be the most fiery month of the parliamentary calendar for bankers who will face their annual grilling from the House Standing Committee on Economics on November 8 & 15, with a special focus on their response to the Hayne royal commission

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has also gifted pundits a few extra hearings this year, with the major superannuation funds appearing on November 21, and the ABA and second-tier banks appearing on November 29. 🔥🔥

Parliament returns on November 11 with a Senate sitting, followed by a sitting of both houses from November 25-28.

Before that, the Senate Economics Legislation Committee will report on its inquiry into the government's proposed unpaid super amnesty on November 7. The bill has found few friends in industry or on opposition benches.

Sometime during the month, the government will release a consultation paper on its controversial retirement incomes review. 🔥

On November 15 submissions are due to the Senate inquiry into the Currency (Restrictions on the Use of Cash) Bill 2019. The bill would make it an offence for business and some individuals to make or accept cash payments of A$10,000 or more. Queue the $9,999 car sale.

On November 27 the ABA, AFCA and the small business ombudsman will have their say at a public hearing on Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie's rural finance reform bill. Sharkie is on a self-imposed mission to ensure mum and dad farmer aren't forgotten by parliament.

The bill would ban banks from unilaterally undertaking evaluation of security to a loan and require them to provide a minimum of 90 business days’ notice where a loan is not going to be extended or renewed. 🐷

Out and about

On November 7 ASIC deputy chair Karen Chester will deliver the keynote speech at the Centre for Asian Business and Economics 6th Annual Conference on The Future of Corporate Governance in Financial Services.

On November 10 APRA chair Wayne Byres will speak at the 2019 Customer Owned Banking Association conference. The headliner is AMP chairman David Murray.

ASIC commissioner Sean Hughes will speak at the Australian National Credit Association conference on November 14.

D-Day

We'll get updates from Westpac and NAB on the cost of their post-Hayne remediation programs when they deliver full-year results on November 4 and 7 respectively. 😱

ASIC will have its day in the criminal court against CBA insurance arm CommInsure on November 19. The regulator brought criminal charges against the group for hawking of insurance via unsolicited phone calls.

And in December AGM season rolls around, with troubled wealth manager IOOF sneaking into November. The 28th is D-Day, though it should be less fiery than last year's given its court win against APRA in September.

On November 29 AFCA CEO and chief ombudsman David Locke will provide the 4th annual Credit Law Conference with an update on the complaint watchdog's progress with its fairness project, and priorities for the year ahead. He'll be joined by ASIC senior manager of credit, retail banking and payments Kevin Foo and ABA policy director Justin Mining, also with updates on their plans for 2020.

Adviser watchdog plan leaves banks on the hook​

Unless the gap between AFSL obligations and the responsibilities of authorised representatives are aligned, the code enforcer's impact will be muted.

Unpaid super amnesty finds little support

Carrots need sticks and bad bosses shouldn't be rewarded for withholding the superannuation guarantee, industry groups argued at today's Economics Legislation Committee public hearing.