I came across this article, the subject matter of which I have not, surprise, surprise, seen in the mainstream press. The Senate has just passed legislation which could, in the event of another global financial crisis – and a big one is predicted to be just around the corner – to take cash savings in bailing out “distressed” banks. Guess whose cash that is going to be?
https://www.ainsliebullion.com.au/gold-silver-bullion-news/senate-passes-e2-80-98bail-in-e2-80-99-law-e2-80-93-how-safe-is-your-cash-now-/tabid/88/a/1722/default.aspx
“Few would know that very quietly on 14 February 2018, with just 7 senators present, the Financial Sector Legislation Amendment (Crisis Resolution Powers And Other Measures) Bill 2017 was passed into law on a voice vote. You likely saw no press on the matter and yet the ramifications for all Australians are potentially huge. This is a very long and complicated piece of legislation but at its very core it brings Australia into line with the ‘Bail In’ agenda of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) as agreed at the G20 here in Brisbane in 2014. ‘Bail In’ is about government not bailing out distressed institutions as we saw in the GFC using tax payer’s money, rather using the creditors of the bank to bail itself out. The legislation allows our banking regulator APRA ‘crisis powers’ to secretly step in and run distressed banks. It allows APRA to then confiscate and write off certain types of bonds and hybrid securities and allows them to confiscate cash savings of SMSF’s. Whereas elsewhere around the world, including our neighbours New Zealand, they specifically include the confiscation of depositors’ funds (savings), the Aussie version just cleverly doesn’t specifically exclude that….