Rural sector 'didn't ask for banking inquiry'

Speaking at the Rural Issues Debate last night in Hamilton, O’Connor backed Federated Farmers’ call for the next government to hold an independent inquiry into rural banking.

But he criticised Feds for not standing up to the banks earlier.

“I say, good on you Federated Farmers for stepping up for farmers.

“But this hasn’t been done before: Federated Farmers have never stood up and taken on the banks, as they should have.”

O’Connor says the farming sector is wary of talking on the banks because they all have mortgages.

“It’s very hard to take them on if you are beholden to them and they can be quite vindictive and vicious.”

In June, the Government announced that the Commerce Commission is to look into competition in the banking sector for personal banking services. Finance Minister Grant Robertson said then that record high profits had raised concerns the industry was not working well for New Zealanders.

O’Connor says the Government would have included rural banking into that inquiry had Federated Farmers asked for it.

“But if the sector isn’t saying there’s a problem, why would the Government overreach.”

O’Connor blasted National for planning to remove debt mediation legislation put in place by Labour.

But National ag spokesman Todd McClay claimed the Commerce Commission inquiry on the eve of the election was “to divert attention from high interest rates faced by homeowners and consumers”.

“If you were serious, this would have been done much earlier or you would have joined National when we called for an inquiry into banking in Parliament.”

NZ First candidate Mark Patterson says his party would go after banks and supermarkets.

Patterson says there should be an inquiry into rural banking.