Wednesday, 12 March 2025 11:00

Banks on notice

Written by The Hound

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OPINION: Shane 'Matua' Jones, crusader against all things woke, including "woke banks", couldn't have scripted it better when his NZ First colleague Andy Foster had his Members' Bill drawn from the ballot recently.

The Bill, it is hoped, will stop lenders from unfairly debanking legitimate businesses and industries (such as petrol stations) on ideological grounds.

As Feds' banking spokesperson Richard McIntyre says, "Banks have been under huge pressure recently for some of their more unpalatable lending pressures. This Bill [will] add to that scrutiny and shine a white-hot light on big banks that have been forcing their ideological views down the throats of New Zealanders".

While not their Bill, the Feds are claiming this as a moral victory for them.

Fair enough too, they've been vocal critics of the banking sector in recent years and helped get the select committee inquiry currently underway.

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