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Banks can be dangerous in a democracy because of their wide \"spheres of influence\". Consider this case from our files. Mr J. Lee (not real name) resigned from WESTPAC and was conveyed the message that he will never find a job in his usual occupation.
Let\'s study the case of Mr Lee. Mr Lee was in his early thirties when he resigned from WESTPAC and was a specialist in an area of, say, accounting. There are 200 companies in Australia who have the resources to need a specialist of this calibre and 80% of these use one particular accounting system which Mr Lee in fact helped to develop while working for the vendor of that accounting system.
Mr Lee has excellent references (in writing) and his speciality is one for which the 200 large companies who use that particular accounting system are continually in need of top experts.
But, 5 years down the track, and Mr Lee can\'t not find a position.
Coincidence, unlucky, or was the conveyed threat of a senior WESTPAC manager serious. The conveyed threat was reported to a NSW Law Officer soon after it was made - just in case WESTPAC did have the muscle and arrogance to make a \"boycott\" come to pass.
Now, most of you will think \"Mr Lee should take this up with a solicitor\". A sensible adult position. So we did, on Mr Lees\' behalf, and in 1992 have written to perhaps every minister and legal body in the country (both labor and liberal MP\'s). Only one response from a politician who was not in a position to do anything about it - that\'s fair enough. Some members of the superior courts after being supplied with essential information came back with, \"case exists, do consult a lawyer\". So the NSW Law Society was asked to provide a list of specialist solicitors who could manage a case of this enormous scope. Two firms were suggested. Both contacted. Both had WESTPAC as client and would not act against WESTPAC. So - in theory the system is there, but in practice it appears not there.
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