Bank Royal Commission back on election agenda
In last night's edition of the ABC's Q&A, self-described "whistleblower in the CBA financial planning scandal" Jeff Morris, who was in the studio audience, reminded Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, that the subsequent Senate Inquiry of 2014 "found that your 'tough cop' ASIC was a 'timid and hesitant regulator' and recommended a Royal Commission into the CBA.""Many financial scandals later, all of them on ASIC's watch, your Government still refuses to call a Royal Commission into the Banks. At the same time your government takes millions in political donations from the same banks," Morris went on. "Mr Cormann, how can this be right?" he asked.Cormann responded "we think it's important if any bank or financial institution does anything wrong that effective action is taken. That is why we've provided additional powers and resources to asset there's been a series of inquiries - there's been a Senate inquiry and financial system inquiry. In our judgement, it was time for action not time for yet another inquiry that essentially would not be able to do anything about its findings." Q&A panellist, broadcaster Alan Jones - usually a friend of the liberal party - was scathing in his criticism of Cormann's reply, asserting that he had seen banks' treatment of farmers who, he alleged, had been thrown off their farms even though they'd never missed any payments. Jones reminded the audience that Senator John Williams (Liberal Party, New South Wales) has called for a Royal Commission.