Appendix C: Glossary

Date
2008 McKinsey Review
A review of ASIC functions conducted by the external consulting firm, McKinsey & Company.
AAT
Administrative Appeals Tribunal — conducts independent merits reviews of administrative decisions made under Commonwealth laws.
ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics — the Australian Government's statistical agency.
ACCC
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission — Australian statutory authority that enforces the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and a range of additional legislation, promoting competition, fair trading and regulating national infrastructure.
Advisory panels
The external panels that advise ASIC (such as the External Advisory Panel, Consumer Advisory Panel, and Director Advisory Panel).
AFMA
Australian Financial Markets Association — an industry body representing participants in Australian financial markets.
AFSL
Australian Financial Services Licence
AML
anti-money laundering
APRA
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority — the prudential regulator of the Australian financial services industry that oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance companies, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry.
APS
Australian Public Service
APSC
Australian Public Service Commission
ASC
Australian Securities Commission — forerunner to ASIC.
ASIC
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ASIC Act
Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001
ASIC Leadership Survey
Survey conducted of ASIC Commissioners and Senior Management by PwC and collated by Susan Bell Research for the Panel.
ASIC Survey of Staff
Annual employee engagement survey conducted of ASIC staff by ORIMA Research for ASIC.
ASX
Australian Securities Exchange
ATO
Australian Taxation Office
BaFin
Federal Financial Supervisory Authority — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in Germany.
BaU
Business as usual
CAP
ASIC's (external) Consumer Advisory Panel — see Advisory panels.
CFR
Council of Financial Regulators — the coordinating body for Australia's main financial regulatory agencies RBA, APRA, ASIC and Treasury.
Cluster
The term used by ASIC to describe its organisational structure. There are three clusters: Markets, Investors and Financial Consumers, and Registry.
the Commission
The body that heads up ASIC. It consists of five Commissioners, including the Chairperson.
Corporations Act 2001
The principal legislation regulating companies and financial products and services in Australia.
Corporations Agreement 2002
(as amended)
Confers the powers for regulating corporations from the states to ASIC.
DAP
ASIC's (external) Director Advisory Panel — see Advisory panels.
Dark pool
A private forum for trading securities.
DPP
Director of Public Prosecutions — the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is an independent prosecution service established by Parliament to prosecute alleged offences against Commonwealth law.
EAP
External Advisory Panel
EL1, EL2
Executive Level 1, Executive Level 2 (internal leadership staff levels at ASIC).
Evidence Report
ASIC Capability Review Evidence Report in three volumes prepared by PwC for the Panel.
External stakeholder survey
Survey conducted of External Stakeholders of ASIC by Susan Bell Research for the Panel.
FAST Program
Flexible Advanced Surveillance Technologies — an ASIC project (2012-16) to improve capabilities in the identification, analysis and investigation of financial market integrity.
FCA
Financial Conduct Authority — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in the United Kingdom.
FMA
Financial Markets Authority — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in New Zealand.
financial markets
A generic term for markets in which financial instruments are traded. The four main financial markets trade in foreign exchange, fixed interest or bonds, shares or equities, and derivatives.
financial market infrastructure
The channels through which financial transactions are cleared, settled and recorded, including payments systems and trading platforms.
FSAC
Financial Sector Advisory Council — Australian non-statutory body comprising financial market participants that provides advice to the Government on financial sector policy.
FSI
Financial System Inquiry (also known as the Murray Inquiry) — the Government's 2014 inquiry into Australia's financial system.
FRAB
Financial Regulator Assessment Board. FSI recommendation 27 was that the Government create FRAB to advise Government annually on how financial regulators, including ASIC, have implemented their mandates. In its response to the FSI, Government declined to adopt this recommendation but decided to reconstitute FSAC.
GFC
Global financial crisis
internal governance forums
Fora tasked with ensuring effective risk management practices as well as supporting development and delivery of ASIC's strategic objectives.
IOSCO
International Organisation of Securities Commissions
MAS
Monetary Authority of Singapore — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in Singapore.
MDP
ASIC's (external) Market Disciplinary Panel — see Advisory panels.
MIG
ASIC's Market Integrity Group (internal). It comprises three market focused stakeholder teams (Financial Market Infrastructure, Market and Participant Supervision, and Investment Banks) and the Market Integrity Enforcement team.
MIS
Management information systems, for internal management (management dashboard reporting) and the ability to measure internal efficiency.
MoU
Memorandum of Understanding
MSAP
ASIC's (external) Market Supervision Advisory Panel — see Advisory panels.
OBPR
Office of Best Practice Regulation — part of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet which administers the Australian Government's requirements for regulatory impact analysis.
OSC
Ontario Securities Commission — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in Ontario, Canada.
OTC
over-the-counter trading
Productivity Commission
The Australian Government's independent research and advisory body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues affecting the welfare of Australians. Its role is to help governments make better policies in the long term interest of the Australian community.
Parliamentary Joint Committee
on Corporations and Financial Services
The Parliamentary Committee that monitors and reviews the Activities of ASIC and the operation of the corporations legislation.
PGPA Act
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
PSA
Public Service Act 1999 — legislative framework for recruitment, remuneration and performance requirements of civil servants at the Commonwealth Government level.
PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers
RBA
Reserve Bank of Australia —
Australia's central bank.
SEC
Securities and Exchange Commission — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in the United States.
SEBI
Securities and Exchange Board of India — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in India.
SEL
Senior Executive Leader — senior staff level in ASIC.
Senate Inquiry
The 2014 inquiry by the Senate Economics References Committee into the performance of ASIC.
SES
Senior Executive Services — level in the Australian Public Service.
SFC
Securities and Futures Commission — the organisation responsible for regulation of capital markets and financial services in Hong Kong.
SoE
Statement of Expectations
SoI
Statement of Intent
Supplementary Staff Survey
Survey conducted of ASIC Staff by PwC for the Panel.
Uhrig Report
Review of the Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Office Holders, 2003; a report commissioned by the Australian Government