Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Jack Donahue, Frank Gardiner, Johnny Gilbert, Ben Hall, Ned Kelly, Dan Morgan, Andrew George Scott—alias Captain Moonlite—and Frederick Ward—alias Captain Thunderbolt—all names from the 19th century and all bushrangers. They stole from other colonial Australians to feather their own nests. And we thought that they belonged back in the 1800s but, alas, the bushrangers ride again. They are on that side of the House, and now they are coming to a bank account near you.

This Banking Amendment (Unclaimed Money) Bill 2013 is seeing yet another raft of bushrangers coming to a bank account near you. It could be anyone's bank account. If it has not been active in the last three years then look out! Certainly, there has been a chorus of complaint right across this wide brown land about the 21st century bushrangers who are just waiting to take unclaimed money. This is, after all, theft by any other name.

I am going to quote from the Hervey Bay Independent

Mr Neumann interjecting—

Pardon? I am sorry: the parliamentary secretary at the table is saying something I cannot hear, but I will allow his interjection. What was that?

Mr Neumann interjecting—

No, it is theft, and you know it is theft! The member at the table knows that it is theft. The member for Blair probably has examples in his own electorate: people who have had their bank accounts raided by this Labor government. He has some explaining to do when they ring his office and say: 'Mr Neumann, why are my bank accounts being taken by your government in the dead of night? It's not fair.' He knows it is not fair, his colleagues know it is not fair and we on this side certainly know it is unfair.

I was going to quote from the Hervey Bay Independent of 31 May:

The family of a 95-year-old Hervey Bay pensioner who had $50,000 forfeited from a bank account because it hadn't been used for seven years is warning others to be aware of the laws.

Craignish resident Jan Powell said she was shocked last week when she went to check on the status of an account her mother opened in 2002, established to pay—

wait for it—

her own funeral costs, and found the balance had gone from $49,000—

to what? What do you think it was?

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