While admitting the bank benefitted from the surge in housing credit growth, Comyn said a lower level would be better for “long-term financial stability, equality and access to the housing market.”

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“Our view would be that a more sustainable credit growth rate in housing would be slightly below the current level,” he told lawmakers at a committee hearing in Parliament.

“I think that’s probably pushing a higher level than perhaps policymakers and regulators might be ultimately comfortable with.”

“Obviously we benefit as an institution where housing credit is higher.”

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the total number of new loan commitments for dwellings rose 6.4% in the third quarter from the second quarter.

Total housing credit growth has risen above the post-global financial crisis average, largely driven by an increase in investor credit growth in response to lower interest rates, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia.

But Comyn said demand for housing could moderate as there was “much less confidence that rates will be reducing anytime soon.”

He said the bank expected that the cash rate would remain unchanged at 3.6% “more likely than not” through 2026 because inflation was too high.

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As the holiday shopping season approaches, one expert says there are some new scam trends emerging that consumers need to watch out for.

Larry Zelvin, head of the financial crimes unit at Bank of Montreal, says artificial intelligence is making fraud harder to detect.

Some emerging scam threats include AI-generated fake retailer websites and QR code scams that are embedded with malicious links.

Other scams include fake influencer accounts and counterfeit products on the TikTok Shop, as well as digital pickpocketing, where criminals use contactless payment devices to skim data from phones.

Zelvin says there are steps people can take to protect their personal information and finances.

This includes measures like not clicking on links in emails or text messages and instead going directly to a retailer’s website, and using credit cards since they have stronger protections against fraud than other payment methods.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025.

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press

An emergency meeting of the “Insaf Di Awaaz” organisation was held at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib in Phagwara, under the chairmanship of the Assembly constituency president Dr Paramjit Singh Kotli. State committee member and Punjab General Secretary, Jodh Singh Thandi, was present as a special invitee.

During the meeting, members discussed intensifying their struggle for the recovery of the investments of citizens trapped in the Pearl Group and various other chit fund companies. Addressing the media after the meeting, Dr Kotli announced that following a call given by the national president of the organisation, Mahinder Pal Singh Dangarh, Pearl scam victims from across the country will stage a massive protest in front of the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi on November 26.

He stated that all members present in the meeting unanimously agreed to participate in the protest. Dr Kotli further recalled that Dharamvira Gandhi, Member of Parliament from Patiala, had raised the issue of the Pearl Group scam in Parliament last year, questioning Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the return of the huge amounts owed to investors.

Kotli alleged, “However, the Finance Minister misled the House by claiming that the money is available, but no claimants have come forward, despite investor data being fully available online.”

He added that due to persistent pressure from investors over the years, the Central Government has only recently initiated partial refunds to small investors, but the pace of reimbursements remains extremely slow.

“Large investors have not received a single rupee so far, leading to growing anger and frustration. The government’s reluctance clearly shows that it is not serious about returning the hard-earned money of the people,” he said.

Dr Kotli appealed to all participating investors to carry photocopies of their Pearl policy bonds during the demonstration in Delhi.

Prominent members present at the meeting included Bimla Devi Chak Hakim, Dr. Kulwinder Jassal Bhakhriana, Satya Khati, Kulveer Singh Khaliyaan, Manjeet Kaur Manak, Harbhajan Lal Mukandpur, Ashok Kumar Rawalpindi, Jaswinder Kaur Virk, Manjeet Kaur Virk, Sukhdev Kumari, and Praseen Kaur Chak Prema.