Australia has such a strong superannuation system that the country has no need for a sovereign wealth fund, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Gillard told a Financial Services Council breakfast in Sydney she believed superannuation is "already our trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund - but with market benefits".
"That's because it's privately managed by thousands of trustees instead of a sovereign wealth fund managed centrally by a Canberra-appointed manager," she said.
"Or alternatively, you could say that Australia has 8 million sovereign wealth funds - the superannuation accounts of Australians across the country."
Gillard said these were the very same superannuation accounts the Government wanted to make massive injections into, but this was something that could not be achieved without the implementation of a Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT).
"We can only get to 12 per cent by 2020 if we use part of the proceeds of the MRRT to mitigate the lost revenue incurred by taxing super at concessional rates," she said.
Elsewhere in her speech, the Prime Minister closely aligned the Government's Future of Financial Advice legislation to its broader superannuation agenda, and said she expected the bill would be introduced to the Parliament "later this spring".
The Future Fund’s CIO Ben Samild has announced his resignation, with his deputy to assume the role of interim CIO.
The fund has unveiled reforms to streamline death benefit payments, cut processing times, and reduce complexity.
A ratings firm has placed more prominence on governance in its fund ratings, highlighting that it’s not just about how much money a fund makes today, but whether the people running it are trustworthy, disciplined, and able to deliver for members in the future.
AMP has reached an agreement in principle to settle a landmark class action over fees charged to members of its superannuation funds, with $120 million earmarked for affected members.