On Friday 1st December 2023 the Senate took evidence in Canberra relating to bank branch closures. This is the first of a series of posts which presents some of the important evidence, as the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee heard from the Licenced Post Office Group (LPO).
Following the Optus outage this week, the Senate has launched an Inquiry into the issue and impact. One element to the fore was the lack of access to cash thanks to recent bank branch and ATM closures and some businesses choosing to go digital only. Useless when the network or power goes out.
So we need to make sure the Government hears from us about the essential utility of cash, and that they need to legislate to protect access and acceptance of it.
So make a submission to the current inquiry, deadline for which is 17th November.
Use your voice to make sure our elected officials get the message. Access to cash is a requirement, and it needs to be protected – as a safeguard to democracy!
http://www.martinnorth.com/
Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/
Following the Optus outage this week, the Senate has launched an Inquiry into the issue and impact. One element to the fore was the lack of access to cash thanks to recent bank branch and ATM closures and some businesses choosing to go digital only. Useless when the network or power goes out.
So we need to make sure the Government hears from us about the essential utility of cash, and that they need to legislate to protect access and acceptance of it.
So make a submission to the current inquiry, deadline for which is 17th November.
Use your voice to make sure our elected officials get the message. Access to cash is a requirement, and it needs to be protected – as a safeguard to democracy!
http://www.martinnorth.com/
Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/
The Senate Inquiry into ASIC took further evidence this past week. One notable contribution was from an academic, who really went to town on the role and purpose of the regulator. Indeed, he posed the question” Why does ASIC not enforce the law….”?
http://www.martinnorth.com/
Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/
I caught up with Queensland Senator Rennick, and discussed a range of important issues including the accountability and independence of the RBA, regional banking and the digital divide, the digital content bill, and finally, and importantly the role and effectiveness of democracy.
Gerard Rennick is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Queensland since July 2019. He is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and sits with the Liberal Party in federal parliament.
On 8 July 2023 at the LNP Annual Convention in Brisbane, Rennick lost preselection for the third position on the LNP’s senate ticket for the next federal election, after being narrowly defeated by Stuart Fraser, the party’s treasurer
I caught up with Queensland Senator Rennick, and discussed a range of important issues including the accountability and independence of the RBA, regional banking and the digital divide, the digital content bill, and finally, and importantly the role and effectiveness of democracy.
Gerard Rennick is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Queensland since July 2019. He is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and sits with the Liberal Party in federal parliament.
On 8 July 2023 at the LNP Annual Convention in Brisbane, Rennick lost preselection for the third position on the LNP’s senate ticket for the next federal election, after being narrowly defeated by Stuart Fraser, the party’s treasurer
An important debrief on the past weeks Senate Inquiry into Regional Branch closures, use of cash and other banking issues, with Robbie Barwick from the Australian Citizens Party.
An important debrief on the past weeks Senate Inquiry into Regional Branch closures, use of cash and other banking issues, with Robbie Barwick from the Australian Citizens Party.
Robbie Barwick from the Citizens Party and I discuss the latest moves in the battle to retain cash in society ahead of the next Senate hearings which are scheduled for next week. The battle is reaching a head, and there is everything to play for, not least as Adrian Orr put it recently, its a question of social cohesion!
http://www.martinnorth.com/
Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/
In evidence given in Parliament this week we had confirmation that at least NAB, one of Australia’s big four banks, is using partial interaction statistics to falsely justify their programme of Regional Branch closures. This is the data which is parroted by the Banking Association spokesperson to justify the unjustifiable.
In the light of this, Dale Webster, The Regional Journalist, and I (remember we got the Inquiry up in the first place!) have written to the Senate Inquiry on closures today asking for an audit of all statistics being used by the banks to justify their closure plans.
Worth also reflecting on CBA’s conditional 3 year freeze on closures, and Westpac’s pull back.
Once again, we shine a spotlight on disgraceful behaviour as banks continue to suck the life blood from so many regional towns in the interests of shareholder returns. This must change!
http://www.martinnorth.com/
Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/
