Some industry superannuation funds have been just as guilty of investment under-performance as some retail funds, according to the Assistant Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and Financial Services Technology, Senator Jane Hume.
Interviewed on radio, Hume reiterated her call for an end to the culture wars between the various types of superannuation funds while acknowledging that while some industry funds had performed exceptionally well, there were also some industry funds which underperformed.
“The most important thing now is that we put aside the sector wars, whether it's between industry or retail, whether it's between self-managed super funds (SMSFs) and industry and retail super, and say, right, well, what's in the best interest of members?” she said. “That's what we're all about, the best member outcomes that we can get to.”
Hume also signalled that the Government had no intention of altering the existing time-table for lifting the superannuation guarantee, noting that it had been legislated and there was no intention to alter that approach.
Australia’s corporate regulator has been told it must quickly modernise its oversight of private markets, after being caught off guard by the complexity, size, and opacity of the asset class now dominating institutional portfolios.
ASIC chair Joe Longo has delivered a blunt warning to superannuation trustees, cautioning that board-level ignorance of member complaints and internal failings will not be tolerated and could trigger enforcement action.
ART has cautioned regulators against imposing overlapping obligations on superannuation funds already operating under APRA’s comprehensive framework, saying that additional oversight should be “carefully targeted to address potential gaps in other parts of the market”.
The super fund has appointed Simone Van Veen as chief member officer.