Dispatches: Samuel stands down from NAB-AXA merger deliberations

The chairman of the competition regulator says he will recuse himself from deliberations over National Australia Bank's $13.3bn proposed takeover of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it had accepted Graham Samuel's position that he will cease to be involved in any further deliberations over the merger proposal, the regulator said in a statement. (News.com.au)

HSBC Australia has boosted its executive committee by two, including Chris Russell as head of global banking. Joining Russell is Gavin Powell as head of global markets, who will oversee the British bank's local sales and trading operations as well as its debt capital markets business. (The Australian)

National Australia Bank's Financial Planner Banking (NAB FPB) division is providing services to an additional 110 advisory practices compared to nine months ago, NAB FPB national manager Shane Kirsch has said. (Investor Daily)

Count Financial chief executive Andrew Gale says the financial planner will prosper even if the government bans investment platform rebates. (The Australian)

Commonwealth Property Office Fund will spend $330m to redevelop its 120 Pitt Street building, on which the Commonwealth Bank's children's tin moneybox was fashioned. Staff will be relocated by the middle of next year to the bank's new Darling Walk headquarters, at the southern end of Darling Park. (Sydney Morning Herald)