Are banks our new moral guardians?

Banks seem to think so

Are banks our new moral guardians? Many people have the opposite view, that they are morally corrupt. However two recent cases indicate that they are acting as some sort of moral or political controllers.

Earlier this year, Geert Wilders a democratically elected member of the Parliament of the Netherlands, and currently leader of the largest parliamentary party in the government of the Netherlands, visited Australia. He was invited to Australia to talk on Islam in Europe, and the European lesson for Australia.

Now many people disagree with his views, and many agree with his views, as is their respective rights. The Federal government granted him a visa to visit Australia.

Q Society the inviting body tried to open a merchant facility with Westpac Bank, in order for tickets for his talk to be sold. The bank refused to open a facility, stating that it was inappropriate.

The other day in Sydney, a fledgling right wing political party the “Party for Freedom” tried to open a merchant facility with the Commonwealth and Westpac  banks. Their request was refused, one reason given by the Commonwealth bank was ‘The type of business operation’. But ‘The party for Freedom’ is a political party, which was launched early this year, and is trying to get established. Again many will disagree with its policies, and many will agree with its policies, but it is a legal entity. I do not agree with some of the policies of the Labor and Liberal parties, but I do not propose that they cannot have a bank account. This is a democratic country.

So why then are the banks trying to determine what views are right and what views are wrong? If the body applying for a facility is illegal or banned, then they should refuse, but the two parties mentioned here are not illegal or banned, quite the contrary.

It is not the role of the banks  to interfere with democracy and the freedom of expression, nor should they attempt to influence what is ‘politically correct’ and what is not. They, of all people should not try to act as our moral guardians.