No.1 shorted ASX stock...., page-26

"its broker by broker" - i don't think so

Again, i stand to be corrected however i've worked in financial services and have from time to time shorted stock myself. I do not believe that a traditional Au brokers loan out the stock of retail investors.

If you are insto, or you use trustee services or you don't hold stock via different instruments / margins / debt facilities, then yes this happens. Major super funds do it with retail investor stock but again that is generally held via a trustee / unit structure. And the super fund makes money out of the loaning of this stock.

I'd be very surprised is retail investor stock held via nab/comsec/bell/ psl etc etc was being loaned out without consent. But very happy to be wrong and educated otherwise.