Month: November 2020

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Australia and Australians

Straya From The Air

The following was written by the late Douglas Adams of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” fame.

“Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the bottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge into the girting sea.

Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology, but they still call it the “Great Australian Bight”, proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory but they can’t spell either.

The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other landmasses and sovereign lands are classified as continent, island or country, Australia is considered all three.

Typically, it is unique in this.

The second confusing thing about Australia is the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep. It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them.

Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on), under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else.

A stick is very useful for this task.

The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants.

A short history: Sometime around 40,000 years ago some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and a lot of them died.

The ones who survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man’s proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories. They also discovered a stick that kept coming back.

Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north.

More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons), ate all their food, and a lot of them died.

About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since. It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal and litigate (marks of a civilised culture they say), whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert – equipped with a stick.

Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on ‘extended holiday’ and became Australians. The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside their boots every morning for fatal surprises. They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift for making up stories. Be warned.

There is also the matter of the beaches. Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the world, although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching

a beach sunset is worth the risk.

As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a sour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger. Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick. Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string and mud.

Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the ‘Grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land “Oz” or “Godzone” (a verbal contraction of “God’s Own Country”). The irritating thing about this is… they may be right.

TIPS TO SURVIVING AUSTRALIA

Don’t ever put your hand down a hole for any reason – WHATSOEVER.

The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.

Always carry a stick.

Air-conditioning is imperative.

Do not attempt to use Australian slang unless you are a trained linguist and extremely good in a fist fight.

Wear thick socks.

Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.

If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die. And don’t forget a stick.

Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AUSTRALIANS

They pronounce Melbourne as “Mel-bin”.

They think it makes perfect sense to decorate highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.

They think “Woolloomooloo” is a perfectly reasonable name for a place, that “Wagga Wagga” can be abbreviated to “Wagga”, but “Woy Woy” can’t be called “Woy”.

Their hamburgers will contain beetroot. Apparently it’s a must-have.

How else do you get a stain on your shirt?

They don’t think it’s summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.

They believe that all train timetables are works of fiction.

And they all carry a stick..

(Tom: Bright guy, Douglas Admas!)

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What Provides Security?

If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. – Henry Ford

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Human Rights Video #29: Responsibility

One of my principle concerns with the current scene is the rapidly escalating speed with which human rights are being trampled. The lack of peace in certain regions is proof positive that these principles are actually valid and needed, more than ever.

This trend needs to be reversed. The entrance point is educating people that they do have rights. Hence this post and the request you share these posts so more people are aware of and insist upon their rights so that we can live in a peaceful society.

Watch the video and if you think so too, please share it!

Do you know it is a fundamental right of yours to have your own opinion? You would not think so from the way some people (including the government) try to belittle you for disagreeing with them but it is.

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Water

Male bodies are about 60% water. Female bodies are about 55% water. The more overweight you are, the lower the percentage because fat contains very little water. Since so much of your body is made up of water it might pay to know a little about it.

Elsewhere I cover the insanity of putting fluoride into the water supply so will not repeat myself here.

Like any other health topic, there are a great many false datums about water masquerading as true. If you have done much reading on the subject of health and nutrition you are bound to have come across this datum:

“Most of us are dehydrated and should be drinking between six and ten 250 ml or 8 oz. glasses of water a day.”

To date I have not been able to find any scientific surveys or evidence that we need six to eight or ten glasses of water a day and I’m not alone. Heinz Valtin, MD, a retired physiology professor from Dartmouth Medical School and author of two textbooks on kidney function spent 10 months searching medical literature for scientific evidence of the 8 x 8 rule only to come up empty-handed. In 2002 he published the definitive paper on the subject in the American Journal of Physiology.

You may have heard too, “Add an extra glass for each cup of tea or coffee you drink as they are diuretics.” Christopher Vasey, ND, a Swiss naturopath and author of The Water Prescription (Healing Arts Press, 2006), points out that coffee, tea and cocoa drinks contain toxins called purines. These take large quantities of water to dilute them and flush them from the body. He also says that caffeinated drinks elevate blood pressure, increasing the rate of production and elimination of urine.

Artificially sweetened drinks add to the body’s toxic load. Sugar and coffee contribute to an acidic environment in the body. This impedes enzyme function and taxes the kidneys.

Some researchers claim that despite the above, tea and coffee do not have a net negative effect on body hydration.

My own observation of my body is that it does not feel good if I don’t drink enough water. Researchers have confirmed that as little as 5% less hydration than optimal results in reduced mental capacity and physical health. They estimate that half the world’s population is chronically dehydrated with 75% of Americans being dehydrated.

So, whether or not there are any scientifically validated surveys proving the necessity for 6-8 glasses of water a day, it would appear the most of us do not drink enough water.

This is detrimental for digestion as water is necessary for the body to make digestive juices. Not enough digestive juices and the food we eat goes through the body improperly digested. This can result in gas, bloating, nausea and loss of appetite.

One interesting datum is that it is not enough to just drink the stuff, you also have to make sure the water you drink is getting to where it needs to go – inside the cells. As we age less water makes it into the cells. It accumulates outside the cells in the extracellular or interstitial fluid. This is a biomarker of aging.

How to do this? Minerals are your ally here. Minerals are the carriers of water into the cells where they also activate enzymes. Enzymes are the basis of every biological process in the body from digestion and hormone secretion through to cognitive function.

TARGET: Experiment with a glass or two more of water a day and see if it results in you feeling better.

TARGET: Eat plenty of mineral rich vegetables and/or take a mineral supplement.

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One reason we don’t drink enough could be that treated town water often does not taste good and is not that good for us. Apart from fluoride and its negative effects, chlorine is added to kill pathogens.

Chlorine breaks apart and recombines with chemicals from lotions, shampoos and makeup that wash down the drains. Even worse, it combines with pharmaceutical residuals to form contaminated chloroform compounds in town water mains. Remember chloroform? It used to be used as an anesthetic. Not any more. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health considers chloroform a carcinogen. It has been found to cause liver, kidney and thyroid tumours and has been linked to bladder and rectal cancer.

Town water contamination is now being linked to cancer and other serious ailments and birth defects. The Australian newspaper of 11 June 2008 carried a report on Australian town water, being seriously high in Trihalomethane [THM] chloroform contamination. The report cited tests conducted on 20,870 babies in Perth agreeing with similar tests by British and Taiwanese scientists on 396,049 babies born in Taiwan identifying serious birth defects and other health problems caused from Chlorinated Town water.

Sydney water is shown to be among the worst in the Western World, being more than 10 times above the safe level for THM contamination set by Health Authorities in Europe.

“Aqueous chlorine reacts with organic materials present in water sources to form THMs (trihalomethanes). Long-term exposure to these harmful by-products of disinfection has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and infant birth delivery problems. It is estimated that THMs in drinking water are responsible for as many as 2-17 percent of the bladder cancers diagnosed each year in the United States.

To protect the public, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a maximum contaminant level of 0.08 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for THMs. To conform to these regulations, many municipal water supplies have switched to an alternative method of disinfection using chloramination.” No longer available but originally from: http://www.wqa.org

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And it’s not just drinking the stuff that’s harmful. Apparently when we shower we breath in the chloroform and absorb it through our skin.

TARGET: Buy and fit a water filter for the shower. Pick one that removes chlorine, VOCs and THMs. VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds – man-made chemicals, fuel components and byproducts. Eg. Formaldehyde. THMs are solvents, refrigerants and byproducts.

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Despite the addition of chlorine, town water can still contain pathogens so I add iodine or colloidal silver to my drinking water to kill pathogens in the water and in the body.

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Water can have different pH values. Here is a chart showing the pH values of different liquids courtesy of Environment Canada.

Acid Alkaline Scale

On this page there is an interesting discussion of the different types of water and the pros and cons of distilled and purified water:
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=210005

Of course there are completely contradictory claims made for purified and distilled water, no doubt coming from the purveyors of each. So please do your own reading and make up your own mind on what you think is best for you.

Here are some quotes on alkaline water on the site from which I purchased the alkalising water purifier I use. (Please note, if you click on this link and purchase something from their site they may pay me a commission.)
https://alkaway.infusionsoft.com/go/ahp/AlkTom

“My fundamental theory is that there’s only one sickness and one disease and that’s the over-acidification of the blood, then tissues.” Dr Robert Young, PhD, Research Scientist and author of ‘The pH Miracle’.
“All deaths from so-called natural causes are merely the endpoint of progressive acid saturation.” Dr George W. Crile, the highly-acclaimed “Father of Physiologic surgery”.
“If you have a health problem you are most likely to be acidic. Research shows that unless the body’s pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself.” Dr Michael Serafin, PhD, founder of Compounding Services, NSW.
“Alkaline, antioxidant water is probably the most profound discovery of our time. The question is often asked, Who should be drinking the alkaline, antioxidant water? The answer is simply everyone from children to octogenarians.” Ben Johnson, M.D., Doctor of Osteopathy, and Naturopathy.

It has only been recently discovered that it is the hydrogen in alkaline water that seems to have yielded most of the health benefits.

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On the other hand, here is an article on Dr Mercola’s site that disputes many of the claims made for drinking alkaline water.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/11/alkaline-water-interview.aspx#sdendnote13sym

And another that condemns distilled water as mineral leaching:

Early Death Comes From Drinking Distilled Water
During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the opportunity to observe the health effects of drinking different types of water. Most of you would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could be hazardous to your health because of things like
• parasites
• chlorine
• fluoride
• dioxins

Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me say that drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous.

Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of distilled water in the 1970’s when it first became a fad with the health food crowd.
Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time).
Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.

Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved by distilled water.”
The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water. Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals into the urine.

The more mineral loss, the greater the risk for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally associated with premature aging.

A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from around the world have been advocating the theory that aging and disease is the direct result of the accumulation of acid waste products in the body.
There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such a theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste accumulation.
These and other junk foods can cause the body to become more acidic:
• meats
• sugar
• alcohol
• fried foods
• soft drinks
• processed foods
• white flour products
• dairy products

Stress, whether mental or physical can lead to acid deposits in the body.
There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water (distilled water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to buffer this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood.
The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state.

I have done well over 3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception, people who consume distilled water exclusively, eventually develop multiple mineral deficiencies.
Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished in minerals as their non-distilled water drinking counterparts even after several years of mineral supplementation.
The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and this requires the presence of minerals like
• calcium
• magnesium
Distilled water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended as a way of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished, the continued drinking of distilled water is a bad idea.
Water filtered through reverse osmosis tends to be neutral and is acceptable for regular use provided minerals are supplemented.
Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline. Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily drinking. Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of hard water (high in minerals). Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water.
Avoid it except in special circumstances.
Zoltan P. Rona MD MSc
References
Airola, P. 1974. How To Get Well. Phoenix, AZ: Health Plus Publishers.
Baroody, Dr. Theodore A. Jr. Alkalinize or Die. California:Portal Books, 1995.
Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. The Complete Guide to Diet & Nutritional Medicine. Berkeley, California:Celestial Arts, 1992; p. 22.
Rona, Zoltan P. and Martin, Jeanne Marie. Return to the Joy of Health, Vancouver: Alive Books, 1995.
Rona, Zoltan P. Childhood Illness and The Allergy Connection. Rocklin, California:Prima Books, 1996.
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Here is a link to some water crystal pictures taken by a Japanese researcher who looked into the molecular structure of water:
http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm

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Acid versus Alkaline pH Balance in Your Body

This is a good explanation of what it is, why you should know about it and what effects different foods, including water, have on it http://www.online-ganoderma.com/page/14235/default.asp

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Letting babies swim in chlorinated pools harms their health for life. Young children who swim in chlorinated pools may suffer an increased risk of lung infections and even lifelong asthma and respiratory allergies. From:
http://www.naturalnews.com/028928_swimming_pools_chlorine.html

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It truly is amazing what science is learning about the various states of water and the action of water in the body. Getting some sun helps alter the nature of water in the body. From:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/29/dr-pollack-on-structured-water.aspx

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On last point. I don’t know from where the idea came to drink water with meals but if stomach acid is formulated to break down the food to aid digestion it just doesn’t seem right to me to dilute it by drinking water with meals. I don’t drink for 20-30 minutes prior to a meal and rarely feel like drinking for an hour after one.

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From http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap12.pdf
Sufficient evidence is now available to confirm the health consequences from drinking water deficient in calcium or magnesium. Many studies show that higher water magnesium is related to decreased risks for CVD and especially for sudden death from CVD. This relationship has been independently described in epidemiological studies with different study designs, performed in different areas, different populations, and at different times. The consistent epidemiological observations are supported by the data from autopsy, clinical, and animal studies. Biological plausibility for a protective effect of magnesium is substantial, but the specificity is less evident due to the multifactorial aetiology of CVD.

In addition to an increased risk of sudden death, it has been suggested that intake of water low in magnesium may be associated with a higher risk of motor neuronal disease, pregnancy disorders (so-called preeclampsia), sudden death in infants, and some types of cancer. Recent studies suggest that the intake of soft water, i.e. water low in calcium, is associated with a higher risk of fracture in children, certain neurodegenerative 159 diseases, pre-term birth and low weight at birth and some types of cancer. Furthermore, the possible role of water calcium in the development of CVD cannot be excluded.

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…when used for cooking, demineralized water was found to cause substantial losses of all essential elements from foods such as vegetables, meat and cereals. Such losses may reach up to 60 percent for magnesium and calcium, 66 percent for copper, 70 percent for manganese, and 86 percent for cobalt. In contrast, when hard water (not treated with reverse osmosis) is used for cooking, there is minimal loss of these essential elements.

From https://www.uwhealth.org/news/dr-jacqueline-gerhart-theres-good-and-bad-to-using-reverse-osmosis-water-systems/36710

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Total Dissolved Solids
Total Dissolved Solids
As you can see, there is a wide variation in the amount of dissolved solids in commercially available bottled water.

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One Tasmanian’s 54-year obsession to catalogue all of the world’s edible plants to end malnutrition

Bruce French

When agricultural scientist Bruce French was teaching agriculture in Papua New Guinea, his students had a strong message for him.

They were sick of being taught about western plants and wanted to learn more about their native produce.

“I knew nothing about those, so I had to learn them,” Mr French said. “And I just kept going. What about the next country, and the next country?”

In the five decades since, Mr French has created a database of more than 31,000 edible plants, which is almost every plant from every country on earth.

His work is used to address malnutrition across the globe and in 2016, he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia.

“I’m not trying to make fame or fortune. I’m interested in hungry kids not dying before they get to school,” Mr French said.

His database focuses on five primary nutrients: protein, iron, vitamins A and C and zinc.

They are often abundant in plants native to areas of the developing world where malnutrition is rife but western foods are favoured.

“It’s really getting them to look and learn what their local plants are because often they are much more nutritious than introduced ones,” said Deborah French, Bruce’s wife and partner in the food plants project.

For example, cassava leaves and amaranth are loaded with iron, compared to cabbage.

“I remember one Kenyan man who said, ‘I know cabbage is not good for my children, it fills their stomach up and there’s not much room for anything else, but it has prestige,'” Mrs French said.

Agronomist Buz Green helped found Food Plant Solutions to promote Mr French’s database.

After hearing Bruce French give a presentation on his database back in 2007 to a rotary club, agronomist Buz Green helped found the not-for-profit Food Plant Solutions to spread the message.

“As an agronomist, I’ve been involved in trying to grow crops in places where they weren’t suited to or meant to be,” Mr Green said.

“But Bruce’s work is about, ‘What plants grow best in this location and what are the plants that are most appropriate for nutritional needs of the people?'”

He said farmers and agronomists produced fresh, safe, healthy food but often did not consider the nutritional value.

“You go and talk to western-trained agronomists and say, ‘Here’s a number of plants, can you rank them in terms of their concentration of different nutrients? Which one would have the highest zinc and which one would have the lowest zinc?’ Most of them wouldn’t have any idea.”

Food Plant Solutions partners with organisations that are already working in other countries and shares knowledge about the best plants to meet the nutritional needs of the community in that region.

AOG World Relief Vietnam works in the country’s rural areas, where around a quarter of children are malnourished.

It used the information to set up 16 gardens near primary schools.

Mr French’s work has helped a Vietnamese primary school develop a food garden.(Supplied: AOG World Relief Vietnam)
“Malnutrition rates are dropping, enrolments are going up, kids staying in school is going up because before, kids would only stay in school until lunchtime then go home and most wouldn’t come back after lunch,” said Rebekah Windsor, project manager with AOG World Relief Vietnam.

Ms Windsor said knowledge of native plants had been lost and not passed down through the generations, which was why guides and handbooks created in Tasmania provided so much value in Vietnam.

“So when we go through, sit down with the teachers, principals, parents, with the guide and go through the amazing nutrition of a certain plant, their mind is blown,” she said.

“They learn that the root is actually more valuable than other parts of the plant and often say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this was so nutritious, this grows down the road and we’ve never even thought about it before.”

Agricultural engineer John McPhee helps turn the immense database of more than 31,000 plants into the easy-to-read guides.

“What Bruce has done with the database is fantastic,” Mr McPhee said.

“There’s just so much information in there from so many sources.”

“Bringing that information together, as he has done over his life, has been a monumental task.”

https://foodplantsolutions.org/about-us/

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31 Ways To Detox

31 Ways To Detox

Our body is bombarded with toxins relentlessly both externally and internally. The more toxic we are, the more weakened our immune system becomes. So detoxification is vital!

But a natural body detox doesn’t have to be complicated. Did you know that you can help your body detoxify on a daily basis in simple ways?

https://www.nexusnewsfeed.com/article/wake-up-world/31-simple-ways-to-detoxify-every-day/

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De-banking a weapon in the war on cash

Westpac has reportedly “de-banked”—cut off from banking services—hundreds of business clients in recent weeks. Westpac’s excuse is it is going out of its way to be squeaky clean following its record $1.3 billion fine for its breaches of anti-money laundering/counter-terrorism financing (AML-CTF) laws revealed in late 2019. The businesses targeted by Westpac are involved in the non-bank/cash economy, including gold and silver bullion dealers, Bitcoin traders, and cash remittance (international transfer) companies. However, unlike Westpac, these businesses are fully compliant with AML-CTF requirements—Westpac and the other major banks are targeting them as part of their war on cash to destroy competition to the banking system and force everyone to transact electronically through the banks.

Channel 7 News reported on 19 June that the banks are boasting of using the COVID-19 pandemic to ram through their pre-existing cashless economy agenda. According to the banks, they achieved in just 10 weeks a goal of reducing cash use they thought would take five years! The Big Four banks closed 170 branches during the national lockdown months, Channel 7 reported, some of which aren’t expected to reopen. The banks are on track to reduce the number of ATMs from 28,000 nationwide to just 15,000.

The Morrison government tried to assist this goal through its bill to ban cash transactions above $10,000; however, following a massive public backlash it has gone quiet on the law. The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has launched a Change.org petition to protect cash use in the economy by mandating that businesses must accept cash as a form of payment for transactions below $10,000 (above that it’s up to the business). In a position paper, the ATMIA stated:

“Some retailers have gone cashless, which denies members of the public the freedom to choose how they wish to pay for goods and services. Cash, as public money, is guaranteed as legal tender and yet cannot be used at these cashless retail outlets. In addition to being public money, cash is a back-up when systems fail or malfunction. With the recent [attempted] introduction of a $10,000 limit on cash transactions in Australia, it is essential to secure the role of cash as a payment option for transactions below this amount. The ATM Industry Association proposes a mandate for cash as a payment option for in-person transactions below $10,000.” (Sign the petition, “Save cash—our right to access and use cash must be protected by law” on Change.org).

While the banks boasted of being able to fast-track cash reduction goals, in the same period the Australian public voted with their feet and demanded record quantities of cash. The Australian on 15 October reported that between mid-March and the end of June the Reserve Bank issued $7.7 billion in high-value banknotes to the private banks to meet a surge in demand by the public. This year cash in circulation increased by 12.6 per cent compared with an average of 5 per cent in recent years. Due to concerns about the banks and the financial system and policies such as the “bail-in” of bank deposits to prop up failing banks, Australians withdrew cash in enormous quantities either to hoard, or to put in alternatives to the banks, including gold and silver bullion, and Bitcoin.

On 14 October, Paul Thomas of Commander Security Services received a letter from Westpac dated 2 October giving him effectively 12 days’ notice that Westpac was closing his accounts. Commander Security is a cash-in-transit business based in Sydney (a small competitor to Armaguard) that provides cash to ATMs and remittance companies, which is why Westpac is targeting the business. However, unlike Westpac and the other big banks, Paul Thomas’s clients are fully compliant with AUSTRAC, the regulator that enforces AML-CTF laws. Westpac didn’t give a reason for closing the accounts—a Westpac contact said the decision was made by a “faceless division” which doesn’t deal directly with customers—but another Westpac source confirmed the bank’s excuse is a determination to be squeaky clean following its record AUSTRAC fine. Yet this is clearly a smokescreen for knocking out businesses that compete with the banks.

Michael Kukulka of the Melbourne Gold Company has had the same experience, but from all the banks. His business was first de-banked by Westpac, then by CBA, and then NAB. Effectively none of the major banks will bank with him, and neither will most smaller ones. The banks were ruthless: not only did they close his business accounts, they also closed the personal accounts of all staff and family members connected to the business. Cut off from almost all banking services, the Melbourne Gold Company was forced to deal almost entirely in cash, which had to be stored onsite in company safes. This proved to be too much temptation for one employee, who in April conspired with a friend to rob the business of $3.9 million—the third biggest heist in the history of Victoria!

On 27 October One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts questioned banking regulator APRA on “bail-in” and de-banking, and the cases of both Paul Thomas and Michael Kukulka, pointing out that they are in areas of the economy that are in competition with the banking system. “APRA appears to be turning a blind eye to banks de-banking their rivals—can you explain that?” Senator Roberts asked. APRA chairman Wayne Byres tried to deflect from Roberts’ questions by saying consumer protection isn’t APRA’s responsibility, but he agreed to look into their cases.

The major banks in Australia enjoy an implicit government guarantee—they are too big to fail. That must come with conditions, such as not being allowed to de-bank customers unless they have committed crimes. Otherwise, a permanent solution to de-banking is a public bank, such as a Post Office bank, owned by the government, which would be required to provide banking services to everybody. The private banks have repeatedly failed Australians—it’s time for the public bank solution.

Fight bail-in: We have an opportunity on 30 November to force Parliament to pass Senator Malcolm Roberts’s bill to protect deposits in all banks from bail-in. Call your MP and Senators straight away and demand they vote for the Banking Amendment (Deposits) Bill 2020. Click here to find contact details for your MP and Senators. https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members