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Chapter 1

Statutory oversight

1.1        The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services was established by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001.  Section 243 specifies the Committee's duties, which include:

1. to inquire into, and report to both Houses on:

   1. the activities of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) ... or matters connected with such activities, to which, in the Parliamentary Committee's opinion, the Parliament's attention should be directed.

1.2        This report is presented in execution of the committee's duty under s.243(a)(i).

1.3        In undertaking this oversight function, the committee has inevitably focused on matters of a controversial nature or areas where there may be scope for ASIC to improve the way in which it carries out its responsibilities. Despite this, the committee remains satisfied that, overall , ASIC continues to carry out its functions in accordance with the provisions of the corporations legislation.

Public hearing

1.4        The committee held a public hearing on 17 June 2009 to examine matters falling within ASIC's regulatory jurisdiction. Witnesses who gave evidence are listed in Appendix 1.

1.5        A copy of the Hansard transcript from the hearing has been tabled for the information of the Parliament. It is available online at
http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/joint/commttee/J11593.pdf

Additional information

1.6        A number of questions were placed on notice at the hearing. Those questions, and ASIC's responses to them, are published in Appendix 2.

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