Comment: The grand old CBA could lead a roll-up
How dashing and colourful does the Commonwealth Bank board plan to be in its response to the financial planning mess?The scathing report of the senate committee into the performance of ASIC which was tabled last Thursday has put the focus back on the failings of CBA in the Commonwealth Financial Planning scandal. Some sort of response should come today, surely. But how might CBA take back the high ground?A takeover of Australia Post, as a prelude to delivering Centrelink services in full? Dominating banking services in Australia, perhaps by hauling another big bank into the CBA group? It could be the first move in a roll up of the lot into one national bank.We can only hope.There must be plenty of promising cost reduction opportunities to be had if one management, one board and one vision informed the decisions on how to use resources.CBA is as good a candidate any to drive the industry forward, and to buy and become a bloody big bank.The Labor vision in the 1940s was in essence one bank.Why on earth not aim for it now?