Australia’s securities regulator said Thursday it is looking at mortgage lending standards across the banking sector after taking civil court proceedings against Westpac Banking Corp. The Westpac case “sends a message to the broader sector” that the Australian Securities & Investments Commission is prepared to “take anyone on,” Chairman Greg Medcraft told a parliamentary committee. ASIC yesterday announced proceedings against Westpac, the country’s second-biggest bank, over alleged failures to properly assess whether borrowers could afford their mortgages.