Australian Banks will have to appear once a year before the Economics Committee of the Parliament, under plans announced today by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison held a joint press conference to outline the plan. Turnbull said the banks “operate under a social licence from the Australian people”. Built on a foundation of trust, “they have to earn that trust through being open and accountable at all times,” Turnbull said.

The heads of the four major banks will be required to appear before the House of Representative Standing Committee on Economics. Morrison said this was “in the same way that the Reserve Bank and APRA currently appear before the committee on a regular basis”. [Read more…]