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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

 

Poor example set by bank

 

I taught for some years in an area that had, at the time, the highest per capita debt in Australia.

I am consequently a little over sensitive to the problems of debt.

The problems caused by people living beyond their means manifested itself all too graphically in the disturbed behaviour of children whose parents were under the pressure of repayments (often repayments for things that were more "wants" rather than "needs").

I was therefore appalled by the window display of our local ANZ bank in Woy Woy, a window full of delightful paintings by kindergarten aged kids.

At first glance, it looked marvellous, here is a bank fostering the creativity of children, but then I read the text.

The bank had given the topic "what would you buy with a loan from the ANZ".

Not, "what I would do if I saved a million dollars".

I hope to see in the bank as a sequel exhibition, a similar group of paintings, with the title "what I will have to do to repay my debt, plus interest, to the ANZ bank".

Robin Norling, Patonga