22 I am satisfied as to the matters referred to in s 411(2). Under s 411, it is the company that initiates the procedure by preparing the draft scheme and draft explanatory statement. The company then applies to the Court for an order convening the meeting of members. Ordinarily, the Court will not order a meeting unless the scheme is such, as to its nature and terms, that, following approval by the shareholders, the Court would be likely to approve it on an unopposed application.
23 Since the initial application is made ex parte, subject to notification to the Commission, the company making the application has a responsibility to bring to the Court's attention all matters that could be considered relevant to the exercise of its discretion. The task of the Court, in deciding whether to make an order under s 411(1), is to be satisfied that:
· the proposal fits within the statutory concept of arrangement;
· there will be available to shareholders all the main facts relevant to the exercise of judgment on the proposal; and
· the scheme is so conceived and presented as to its structure, purpose, and effect that there is no apparent reason, so far as can be foreseen, why it should not, in due course, receive the Court's approval, if the necessary majority of shareholders vote in favour of it.
24 AMP has tendered considerable evidence in support of its application. A schedule of the affidavits and other evidence relied upon by AMP is attached as Schedule 1. However, I propose to refer briefly to the evidence of several experts whose affidavits have been read on the hearing of the application.
25 Mr Antony John Stuart is the managing director of N M Rothschild & Sons (Australia) Limited ('Rothschild'). Rothschild was engaged by AMP to prepare an independent expert's report for inclusion in the explanatory memorandum. I have considered the report, in general terms. Mr Stuart has confirmed on oath that the opinions expressed in the report are held by him. AMP requested Rothschild to provide opinions as to the following matters:
· whether the Demerger is in the best interests of AMP shareholders and the reasons for that opinion;
· as the Demerger includes a capital cancellation, whether the Demerger is fair and reasonable to shareholders as a whole;
· whether the capital cancellation materially prejudices the ability of AMP to pay its creditors;
· whether the methodology of the adjustment to the exercise price of options issued under the AMP executive and employee option plans (details of which are referred to in the explanatory memorandum) is fair and reasonable to AMP ordinary shareholders;
· to comment on the effect of the adjustment; and
· whether the cancellation of the reset preferred securities is fair and reasonable to shareholders as a whole.
26 Rothschild has concluded that the Demerger is the strategic option most likely to deliver maximum value to AMP shareholders over time, based on Rothschild's assessment of the benefits, costs, disadvantages, and risks inherent in the Demerger. That conclusion is predicated on the basis that, as at the date of the Rothschild report, no offer has been made to acquire HHG, in whole or in part, in terms that could be considered preferable to the Demerger proposal. Rothschild reserved the right to reconsider its opinion in the event that such an offer were to be made.
27 Subject to that, Rothschild expresses the opinion that the proposed Demerger is in the best interests of AMP shareholders as a whole. Rothschild is of the opinion that the ordinary share capital cancellation is fair and reasonable to shareholders as a whole and that the share capital cancellation does not materially prejudice AMP's ability to pay its creditors. In relation to the proposed adjustments to the exercise price of the options issued under AMP's executive and employee option plans, Rothschild considered that the methodology of the adjustment is fair and reasonable to AMP ordinary shareholders. Rothschild is of the opinion that the proposed cancellation of the reset preference securities is fair and reasonable to AMP shareholders as a whole.
28 Mr Paul Bruce Siviour is a director of Ernst & Young Transaction Advisory Services Limited ('Ernst & Young TAS'). Ernst & Young TAS was engaged by AMP to prepare an independent accountant's report to be included in the explanatory memorandum. The report was requested on the pro-forma consolidated forecast financial performance of the continuing businesses that would comprise the AMP Group following the Demerger. Mr Siviour has confirmed on oath that the opinions expressed in the report are held by him.
29 Based on Ernst & Young TAS's review of the forecast set out in the explanatory memorandum, which they make clear is not an audit, and based on an investigation of the reasonableness of AMP's directors' best-estimate assumptions giving rise to the forecast financial information, nothing has come to the attention of Ernst & Young TAS that causes them to believe that:
(a) AMP's directors' best-estimate assumptions set out in the explanatory memorandum do not provide a reasonable basis for the preparation of the forecast; and
(b) the forecast is not properly compiled on the basis of AMP's directors' best estimate assumptions and are not presented fairly in accordance with the recognition and measurement principles prescribed in the accounting standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements in Australia, and the accounting policies adopted by AMP disclosed in the notes in the relevant part of the explanatory memorandum, as applied in Australia representing pro-forma forecasts in prospectuses and explanatory memoranda.
30 Mr Brian James Long is a partner of Ernst & Young and is chairman of its Board of Partners. He is the Global Audit Engagement Partner for AMP. AMP requested Ernst & Young to prepare a report, for inclusion in the explanatory memorandum, on certain financial information described in their report as the 'Pro-forma Historical Financial Information'. The Pro-forma Historical Financial Information is set out in the explanatory memorandum. Mr Long has confirmed on oath that the opinions expressed in the report are held by him.
31 Based on their review, which was not an audit, nothing has come to the attention of Ernst & Young that causes them to believe that the financial information set out in the explanatory memorandum does not present fairly the following pro-forma financial statements:
(a) consolidated statements of financial performance of the demerged businesses for the years ended 31 December 2000, 2001 and 2002 and for the six months ended 30 June 2003,
(b) consolidated statements of the financial position of the demerged businesses as at 30 June 2003; and
(c) consolidated statements of cash flows for the year ended 31 December 2002 and the six months ended 30 June 2003;