Ann: Westpac acknowledges civil proceedings by AUSTRAC, page-174

Dropping 2 dividends is hardly destroying the company.

The only people getting emotional in this thread are those whose self interest is showing through in their posts.

People in this country are simply unwilling to take any hard decision that doesn't involve persecuting the most vulnerable. Whenever a real hard decision is required it's delegate, duck and defer. Which is why our institutions are eroding, public involvement in politics barely registers, naked populism is rampant and we're governed federally by morons who send our wealth overseas (untaxed). Instead of providing moral leadership after lives of good fortune our wealthy retirees are more concerned with their tax refunds and benefits than the good of the nation.

People want to keep the benefits of past generations without employing the frugality and discipline those generations took to build what we have today.

Discipline requires consequence. We deliver that in spades to the marginalised. Westpac needs a hard lesson now while it can afford it and all banks will emerge much stronger for the lesson.