Alberta industries suffered in the early 1980s owing to high interest rates, low world commodity prices, and the National Energy Program. The Treasury Branches were no exception, posting the first of six consecutive years of losses in 1983. Other regional financial institutions suffered at this time with the collapse of the Canadian Commercial Bank and the Northland Bank in 1985. By 1989 the Treasury Branches had an accumulated deficit of CA$150 million. ATB was the subject of scandal in the late 1980s after clients such as Peter Pocklington's Gainers Foods and the Ghermezian Brothers' West Edmonton Mall defaulted on loans. The Treasury Branches did begin to innovate in the early 1980s as well, joining the Canadian Payments Association in 1983 allowed the institution to clear cheques, and the Branches developed an interest rate shielding policy for agricultural customers and delivered special payments on behalf of the government's residential mortgage loan program. In 1984 the Treasury Branches offered US dollar savings accounts in partnership with Citibank. Automated teller machines were introduced in 1989 and in 1990 the Treasury Branches became the first Canadian financial institution to offer telephone banking services. 1990s In the 1990s, the government reformed Alberta Treasury Branches with the intention of transforming it into a financial institution that could compete with Canadian chartered banks. Public trust was eroded during the 1980s and 1990s as high-risk loans with political motivations eroded the Treasury Branches financial footing, including a $100-million loss in 1996. By 1994, there were 142 Treasury Branches, 125 agencies, 3,000 staff and 80 automated teller machines in Alberta. The Klein government appointed Gordon Flynn to review the Treasury Branches operations, Flynn recommended a number of changes including greater autonomy, financial accountability measures and the appointment of a Board of Directors. Flynn's recommendations were reviewed by a working group chaired by former federal finance minister Don Mazankowski, which provided nine further recommendations for the operations of ATB. Mazankowski recommended the government articulate the public policy goals and benchmarks for the institution, ATB must operate at an arms-length from the government, operate under a board of directors, be provided equal treatment against other private sector banks, modernized to allow ATB to compete with modern banks, offer new and in demand financial services and products, deliver programs with a for profit emphasis, remain cost conscious and profit motivated, and be subject to an accountability regime similar to the private sector.