http://southernhighlands.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=378250&y=2005&m=3

Monday, 14 March 2005

Member for Hume Alby Schultz has highlighted another incident of the Child
Support Agency removing money from the bank accounts of a male payer as a
"classic example of a government agency totally out of control and
unaccountable to anyone".

Mr Schultz said in this case the CSA was able to remove a significant amount
of money from the payer's two bank accounts by sending the public officers
of the major bank and large credit union a "notice to pay money directly to
the child support registrar" under section 72a of the Child Support
(Registration and Collection) Act 1988.

"What is disturbing about this often repeated, arrogant abuse of its powers
is that it accesses these accounts by warning of prosecution if the public
officers do not comply and carries out the process in a clandestine manner
unknown to the bank account holder," Mr Schultz said.

"On this occasion the bank account holder learnt his money had been removed
only when he received copies of the CSA letters of demand from both the bank
and the credit union.

"It gets worse. Not only did they remove the amount of money they alleged is
owed by the payer, but the raid on two separate accounts also resulted in
more money than was allegedly owed being confiscated."

Mr Schultz said following contact from the person who was subjected to this
"Ned Kelly type action" he contacted the office of Minister Joe Hockey and
demanded the CSA immediately issue a cheque payable to the person involved.

"During my conversation with the Minister's staffer I was advised that this
accessing of more than one account was common practice by the CSA," he said.

"My response to that was that I am not surprised as I have ample evidence of
this illegal modus operandi by the CSA in my files.



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