This indicates that the Australian system has sufficient regulatory oversight to keep high-risk obligations to a minimum.

Despite being well-positioned from the outset, Australian banks remain saddled with some toxic assets (worthless MBSs and securities backed by insolvent financial institutions). Moreover, they found themselves at a competitive disadvantage. When foreign banks received government backing, their credit rating improved to the level of government securities. This resulted in a disadvantage to Australian banks. Thus, they petitioned for government assistance in order to remain globally competitive (Grubel & Bathgate, 2008).

The financial crisis of the early 1990s instilled strong risk management principles in Australia's banks, which has led to their insulation. Nevertheless, faced with exposure to bad assets, the banks have been forced to cut costs in order to better weather the storm. It is estimated that the banking sector will shed around 10,000 jobs this year (Insead, 2008). Other cost-cutting measures...
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