Australia Bows to Years of Pressure, Announces Inquiry Into Finance Sector

Australia Bows to Years of Pressure, Announces Inquiry Into Finance Sector
The logo of the National Australia Bank is displayed outside their headquarters building in central Sydney, Australia August 4, 2017. Reuters/David Gray/File Photo
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SYDNEY–The Australian government said on Thursday it will hold a wide-ranging inquiry into the finance sector, reversing its long-held opposition amid mounting political pressure and wiping billions of dollars off bank stocks.

The announcement of a year-long Royal Commission throws the spotlight back onto an industry which has sought move on from a series of scandals ranging from misleading financial advice to breaches of anti-money laundering protocols.