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    Inspector McTaggart's Crime Series
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    Bank Reform Now campaign gathers support By CARMEN McINTOSH Aug. 14, 2015, 5:30 a.m. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer this home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer this home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. See your ad here A EUROBODALLA doctor’s campaign against “fraudulent and predatory lending practices” by Australian banks is gathering momentum. The Bay Post/Moruya Examiner reported last year that Batehaven doctor Peter Brandson was leading a people-powered campaign to force change on the government and banks. He announced last August he was offering his luxury Long Beach home as a prize for people to join his campaign. It stems from his own personal story where a bank approved a member of his family a sizeable loan in 2004, which could not be repaid by the borrower. Three years later the bank began legal proceedings to take possession of Dr Brandson’s family home, despite him not being a signatory or guarantor on the loan, nor it being in his name. While Dr Brandson eventually stopped the repossession by refinancing the loan in his name with another financial institution he wants retribution for “predatory lending practices” and “negligent conduct”. Speaking to the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner this week, Dr Brandson said his campaign was “still in pre-launch” but gathering support. The Bank Reform Now Facebook page has almost 3000 followers and several of its posts have been shared more than 100 times, distributing the message to tens of thousands of people. Dr Brandson said the response had been “absolutely fantastic”. See your ad here “Apart from the great response online - people who know me are all very supportive telling me not to give up and that it’s about time someone really taught the banks a lesson,” he said. “I’ve also had some good interactions with several highly-respected journalists and news organisations.” Dr Brandson said “many other victims” had also got in contact and the rip-offs were “horrific”. “It is not just predatory lending and unconscionable conduct whereby bankers knowingly manipulate the loan application to give an unjustifiable loan,” Dr Brandson said. “I’m seeing cases where people, with significant assets built up over a lifetime of work, are deliberately set up so as to enable the bank to strip them of their property and sometimes lives. “I have come to discover that the banking system is organised crime on a grand scale. “The jig is up and I’m hoping to put extra pressure on the banks and the government once the campaign launches.” Dr Brandson said the banks had not responded to his campaign. “Having weak regulatory agencies like the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Financial Ombudsman Service is also part of the game plan," he said. “More importantly, while governments protect the criminals in the industry, the banks feel they can get away with anything.” State pulls pin on giveaway DOCTOR Peter Brandson is investigating options for the giveaway of his Long Beach home after he was unable to offer it via a lottery. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer the luxury home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. He planned to seek $2.60 donations from the community and in return would have given one of the campaign supporters the Long Beach home which a bank tried to repossess in 2007. Dr Brandson said this week no donations had yet been collected. “I have to get all issues sorted,” he said. “We were slowed down because the state authorities didn’t want to have the house offered to a winner via a lottery. “That was my preferred option but I will still give the house to one of the campaign supporters - we will not use a lottery. “We will have all the government approvals required to raise money for the campaign.” Dr Brandson said donations w

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    Bank Reform Now campaign gathers support By CARMEN McINTOSH Aug. 14, 2015, 5:30 a.m. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer this home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer this home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. See your ad here A EUROBODALLA doctor’s campaign against “fraudulent and predatory lending practices” by Australian banks is gathering momentum. The Bay Post/Moruya Examiner reported last year that Batehaven doctor Peter Brandson was leading a people-powered campaign to force change on the government and banks. He announced last August he was offering his luxury Long Beach home as a prize for people to join his campaign. It stems from his own personal story where a bank approved a member of his family a sizeable loan in 2004, which could not be repaid by the borrower. Three years later the bank began legal proceedings to take possession of Dr Brandson’s family home, despite him not being a signatory or guarantor on the loan, nor it being in his name. While Dr Brandson eventually stopped the repossession by refinancing the loan in his name with another financial institution he wants retribution for “predatory lending practices” and “negligent conduct”. Speaking to the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner this week, Dr Brandson said his campaign was “still in pre-launch” but gathering support. The Bank Reform Now Facebook page has almost 3000 followers and several of its posts have been shared more than 100 times, distributing the message to tens of thousands of people. Dr Brandson said the response had been “absolutely fantastic”. See your ad here “Apart from the great response online - people who know me are all very supportive telling me not to give up and that it’s about time someone really taught the banks a lesson,” he said. “I’ve also had some good interactions with several highly-respected journalists and news organisations.” Dr Brandson said “many other victims” had also got in contact and the rip-offs were “horrific”. “It is not just predatory lending and unconscionable conduct whereby bankers knowingly manipulate the loan application to give an unjustifiable loan,” Dr Brandson said. “I’m seeing cases where people, with significant assets built up over a lifetime of work, are deliberately set up so as to enable the bank to strip them of their property and sometimes lives. “I have come to discover that the banking system is organised crime on a grand scale. “The jig is up and I’m hoping to put extra pressure on the banks and the government once the campaign launches.” Dr Brandson said the banks had not responded to his campaign. “Having weak regulatory agencies like the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Financial Ombudsman Service is also part of the game plan," he said. “More importantly, while governments protect the criminals in the industry, the banks feel they can get away with anything.” State pulls pin on giveaway DOCTOR Peter Brandson is investigating options for the giveaway of his Long Beach home after he was unable to offer it via a lottery. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer the luxury home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. He planned to seek $2.60 donations from the community and in return would have given one of the campaign supporters the Long Beach home which a bank tried to repossess in 2007. Dr Brandson said this week no donations had yet been collected. “I have to get all issues sorted,” he said. “We were slowed down because the state authorities didn’t want to have the house offered to a winner via a lottery. “That was my preferred option but I will still give the house to one of the campaign supporters - we will not use a lottery. “We will have all the government approvals required to raise money for the campaign.” Dr Brandson said donations w

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    BankReformNow Gathers Support

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    Inspector McTaggart's Crime Series
    Bank Reform Now campaign gathers support By CARMEN McINTOSH Aug. 14, 2015, 5:30 a.m. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer this home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer this home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. See your ad here A EUROBODALLA doctor’s campaign against “fraudulent and predatory lending practices” by Australian banks is gathering momentum. The Bay Post/Moruya Examiner reported last year that Batehaven doctor Peter Brandson was leading a people-powered campaign to force change on the government and banks. He announced last August he was offering his luxury Long Beach home as a prize for people to join his campaign. It stems from his own personal story where a bank approved a member of his family a sizeable loan in 2004, which could not be repaid by the borrower. Three years later the bank began legal proceedings to take possession of Dr Brandson’s family home, despite him not being a signatory or guarantor on the loan, nor it being in his name. While Dr Brandson eventually stopped the repossession by refinancing the loan in his name with another financial institution he wants retribution for “predatory lending practices” and “negligent conduct”. Speaking to the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner this week, Dr Brandson said his campaign was “still in pre-launch” but gathering support. The Bank Reform Now Facebook page has almost 3000 followers and several of its posts have been shared more than 100 times, distributing the message to tens of thousands of people. Dr Brandson said the response had been “absolutely fantastic”. See your ad here “Apart from the great response online - people who know me are all very supportive telling me not to give up and that it’s about time someone really taught the banks a lesson,” he said. “I’ve also had some good interactions with several highly-respected journalists and news organisations.” Dr Brandson said “many other victims” had also got in contact and the rip-offs were “horrific”. “It is not just predatory lending and unconscionable conduct whereby bankers knowingly manipulate the loan application to give an unjustifiable loan,” Dr Brandson said. “I’m seeing cases where people, with significant assets built up over a lifetime of work, are deliberately set up so as to enable the bank to strip them of their property and sometimes lives. “I have come to discover that the banking system is organised crime on a grand scale. “The jig is up and I’m hoping to put extra pressure on the banks and the government once the campaign launches.” Dr Brandson said the banks had not responded to his campaign. “Having weak regulatory agencies like the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Financial Ombudsman Service is also part of the game plan," he said. “More importantly, while governments protect the criminals in the industry, the banks feel they can get away with anything.” State pulls pin on giveaway DOCTOR Peter Brandson is investigating options for the giveaway of his Long Beach home after he was unable to offer it via a lottery. Dr Brandson announced last August he would offer the luxury home as a prize for people to join his Bank Reform Now campaign. He planned to seek $2.60 donations from the community and in return would have given one of the campaign supporters the Long Beach home which a bank tried to repossess in 2007. Dr Brandson said this week no donations had yet been collected. “I have to get all issues sorted,” he said. “We were slowed down because the state authorities didn’t want to have the house offered to a winner via a lottery. “That was my preferred option but I will still give the house to one of the campaign supporters - we will not use a lottery. “We will have all the government approvals required to raise money for the campaign.” Dr Brandson said donations w

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    of 3

    Scrutiny of Financial Advice

    Submission 6

    Bank Reform Now


    Taking Real Action To Bring About Real Change In Banking
    www.bankreformnow.com.au
    _________________________________________________________________________________
    Submission From Bank Reform Now To The Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry

    1.12.14

    I am sure that you have noticed the mainstream media is regularly filled with stories highlighting criminal,
    unconscionable and predatory activities involving banks and financial planners - usually both involved in a vertically
    integrated business model. Also regularly published are stories showing an ineffectual regulatory system. CBA and
    Macquarie Bank have been shown to have profited by ripping off hundreds of thousands of investors where was
    ASIC? NAB has been in the news for two reasons of late: for inappropriate lending enabled by the use of fraudulent
    Loan Application Forms; and for charging clients abusive Credit Card fees. ANZ is currently receiving attention for its
    involvement in the Timbercorp scandal. There are many examples of fraud, forgery and other crimes in everyday
    bank business activities - not just in relation to Financial Advice (the topic of your inquiry - and this submission).
    Im quite sure that Senator Dastyari is well aware that these types of activities are common having heard many
    examples over recent years. It is quite upsetting when you consider the massive profits that the banks enjoy come,
    in large part, from people having their finances and lives deliberately - in a premeditated fashion - destroyed.
    Bank related financial planners bonuses and promotions are dependent on getting increased business for the bank.
    The bigger the investments sold or managed - and the more of them they generate the better off they will be. This
    puts in place an incentive for planners to work in their interests and often actively against the interests of
    their client this must be neutralised. Up to now CEOs and Directors have turned a blind eye to predatory
    practices including fraud and forgery because the banks profits and their own remuneration also depend on
    inappropriate business tactics. Why do governments, their regulatory authorities and their intermittent
    inquiries also turn a blind eye to these activities?
    I am happy to see a call for better trained financial planners. I am also pleased to see calls to instil ethical behaviour
    and standards in the way they operate. However we will only see a real change when the penalty for the crime
    is greater than the reward. To put it bluntly: bank profits will be much less if they are no longer able to successfully
    engage in predatory business practices. Honest banking is just not that lucrative. This is not a problem in the long
    run because investors will seek to invest in honest profitable businesses that produce real goods and real services
    of real value. The finance industry as we know it is self-serving and only able to make huge profits because
    governments allow crime and corruption to go unpunished.
    How many bank executives have been sent to jail thanks to government regulatory agency investigations? There are
    numerous examples where action should have been taken. I would like to see a significant change in the way
    corporate criminals are pursued, investigated and punished as a direct result of your inquiry. The regulators
    including ASIC and FOS are widely seen as ineffectual toothless tigers working in the industrys interests.
    Even ASICs head Mr Medcraft let it slip that Australia was a paradise for white collar criminals. Medcraft
    says he wants tough penalties on white collar criminals. It is now up to Senator Dastyari and this inquiry to
    deliver reforms along the lines listed below.
    My blood boils when I speak to bank victims that have worked all their lives only to see the fruit of their labour stolen
    by predatory bankers and planners who see their job simply in terms of transferring other peoples money into their
    own pockets. Do you understand how much anxiety, depression and heartache exists in our communities due to
    financial stress? Do you realise that when peoples savings are stolen by financial pirates in this manner it massively
    increases the number of people that become reliant on taxpayer provided pensions? In other words - our countrys
    budget emergency is in part caused by the ramifications of financial abuses seemingly enabled by our leaders.
    My organisation - Bank Reform Now - will be pushing for reforms that will change the way banks operate. We hope
    to help ease the financial and mental health burden people face. BRN is a people powered campaign, and believe
    me the people are angry and they want action.

    Scrutiny of Financial Advice


    Submission 6

    I will list a few of our goals for financial system reform here:
    1. If a bank uses fraud to enrich itself the victim should be fully compensated by the bank back to the position
    they would be enjoying had the fraud not occurred.
    2. If a banker or planner engages in predatory unconscionable practices they should face a significant jail
    term. This means the specific bank officials that worked on the clients case may be jailed. If it becomes apparent
    during investigation that upper echelon management facilitated, condoned or encouraged the criminal action then
    they too would face a custodial penalty. This should apply all the way to the top right up to a complicit CEO.
    3. A bank officer, Director or CEO found to be profiting from predatory unconscionable practices should
    have their ill-gotten pay and bonuses clawed back.
    4. Banks should not be donating to political parties. This raises the important issue of general reform of political
    donations and of political advertising. The Big Four banks donate millions of dollars to the Big Two political parties. It
    is not surprising that the public see this as protection money. Not a good look.
    5. Effective Whistleblower protection legislation. Including - possible immunity for low level financial crime
    perpetrators who help to bring convictions against upper echelon criminal bankers.
    6. We will also be mounting a strong case for a wide ranging Royal Commission with extraordinary powers to
    fully investigate the operation of banks, their planning arms and the enabling support crew lawyers,
    accountants, liquidators, valuers and ratings agencies. Bring a can opener guys - there are juicy worms to catch. If
    you want to seriously tackle Control Fraud properly this is what is required.
    7. It is not enough to just fine a bank involved in wrongdoing. When banks are caught out they have an army of
    lawyers funded and ready to fight for injustice. The expenses incurred are paid for by shareholders. In fact the legal
    expenses often dwarf the amounts being fought over by the bank. Also penalties are treated as a tax deductible cost
    of doing business. Therefore governments are allowing taxpayers to subsidise any fine paid by a bank. The
    penalties must be greater than the crime and must also hit the individuals involved - not shareholders and not
    taxpayers. The USA and Britain have 'fines' of up to 20% of revenue. Your inquiry should review the Sentencing
    Guidelines of the US Department of Justice and the UK Serious Fraud Office. In US v Citibank, for example, there
    was $4 billion for governments and $2.5 billion for public housing and consumer relief. Banks should compensate
    governments and the voting community in non-tax deductible ways to repair the damage they cause.
    8. We are determined to make sure that the public becomes well aware that the Global Financial Crisis was caused
    in very large part by inappropriate lending and other criminal activities committed by bankers. Thus everyone is
    affected by bank malpractice even if they dont have a bank account let alone a loan. Many people may not fully
    understand the many ways their lives are made harder by bad banking practices. Banker and government cover-ups
    will no longer work and in fact are setting people up for further financial turmoil simply to enrich the upper echelons
    of the finance sector.
    I respectfully ask the Inquiry staff - Do you think if bankers and their planners faced real penalties for real
    crimes bank CEO's and Directors would continue to turn a blind eye to these types of abuses?
    The finance sector as we have come to know it is white collar crime on a grand scale. This is a systemic and
    systematic failure of corporate governance. Do not attempt to tell me otherwise. I have seen and heard countless
    examples of predatory activity. Every day people are contacting me with their horror stories.
    The rewards of people's life work are being harvested by unscrupulous pathetic business men who put their
    commissions, bonuses and promotions ahead of the interests of their clients often leaving them with nothing.

    Scrutiny of Financial Advice


    Submission 6

    Cover-ups and whitewashes will no longer be tolerated by a well-informed public.


    The evidence before various Australian and US Senate hearings clearly demonstrates the magnitude of the
    problem. This Inquiry will not be taken seriously if it does not properly address the criminal corporate culture that
    exists in the finance industry. There is no excuse for our elected representatives not to tackle this predatory culture.
    It wasn't long ago when crooked bankers and planners using fraud and forgery to increase bank profits were called
    "Star Performers" by their CEOs. Well - The Jig Is up. The Party Is Over. The finance sector must be reformed. The
    people are demanding action and I will be providing a massive conduit for this call to grow and achieve real and
    lasting results that will benefit the public. Any politician or banker standing in the way will be exposed and feel the
    heat of this movement.
    More information: www.bankreformnow.com.au (launch pending) | https://www.facebook.com/bankreformnow
    Thank you for your time,
    Yours faithfully,

    Dr Peter Brandson
    _______________________
    Dr Peter Brandson
    CEO Bank Reform Now
    A few references (many more at our Facebook page):
    Selected examples showing what our Big Four banks are involved in
    CBA - http://www.smh.com.au/national/cba-ignored-evidence-of-100m-fraud-20140622-zsh6i.html
    ANZ - http://www.smh.com.au/business/anz-faces-financial-scandal-over-timbercorp-20141112-11l8b7.html
    NAB https://www.facebook.com/bankreformnow/photos/a.545658092209510.1073741831.366324383476216/59146970429501
    5/?type=1
    Westpac - http://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2014/05/10/westpac-ceo-gail-kelly-knowingly-conceals-fraud-at-the-bankcourt-documents-and-emails-show/
    We put up a Facebook post recently hoping to encourage real reform via the G20 Brisbane meeting. In that post we
    encouraged people to contribute to a collection of articles detailing examples of financial system abuses. Please have look
    at the collection in the comments section below the post - it has become a powerful resource showing clearly why real
    action is needed to reform the finance system.
    https://www.facebook.com/notes/bank-reform-now/g20-australia-2014-seize-this-golden-opportunity-forreform/601564986618820
    The final word to ASICs head Greg Medcraft - http://www.smh.com.au/business/australia-paradise-for-whitecollarcriminals-says-asic-chairman-greg-medcraft-20141021-119d99.html

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