Brought to you by:

Responses flood royal commission website

The Hayne royal commission published hundreds of submissions last week, including potentially vital responses to the “policy questions” document that followed the insurance round of hearings in September.

Submissions to Commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s interim report, which did not include insurance, were also published, as were companies’ submissions from before the hearings.

Insurers were asked to list every example of misconduct and conduct falling below community standards over the past 10 years.

Also published were details of the final round of hearings, due to start next Monday – in which general insurance companies will not be expected to appear.

The seventh round will consider regulatory reforms necessary to deal with cases of misconduct heard in previous rounds.

The royal commission says it “intends to deal with these issues through the entities set out below”, naming the big four banks, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, AMP, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and Macquarie Group.

Finity Consulting Principal Geoff Atkins told insuranceNEWS.com.au he is not surprised general insurers have not been called.

“My interpretation of this round of hearings is that it’s about the regulators and underlying systemic issues,” he said. “The banks plus AMP have been the number one focus of the royal commission all along.

“I don’t think any particular questions [about general insurance] are likely to come up, but it will be dealt with in the final report.”

See ANALYSIS.