Cross-bench lines up with Greens on banks

The Greens' bank agenda is also - if there was ever much doubt - the agenda of all independents in the House of Representatives.

Greens MP Adam Bandt said the cross-bench independents - Andrew Wilkie, Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott, Bob Katter and Tony Crook - have agreed to back his party's proposed legislation.

"If they want either of their packages to get through, they are going to need to talk to us," Bandt said in Canberra, on Wednesday.

The Greens' bill seeks to abolish bank exit fees, establish basic 'no frills' accounts for customers, scrap inter-bank ATM charges and introduce mortgages based on the real cost of lending, among other reforms.

From mid-2011, Green senators are bound clearly support the bill and push for some form of intervention in the financial sector.

Many policy bones will be thrown to the Greens, and to the citadel of public opinion - offerings bound to be grounded in disdain for the quality of banking's daily services.

Elected officials see merit in keeping on questioning the banks. Yet another parliamentary committee will scrape through the dusty trail of analysis as to why banks won't, in practice, lend to promising businesses.

Bernie Ripoll, who dragged the Commonwealth Bank, the Bank of Queensland, Macquarie Bank and others through the mud over Storm Financials wants to quiz bankers himself in committee. This will mean the joint committee on financial services will hold a hearing or two as well as the Coalition-created Senate committee.

The latest Ripoll committee fact-finding mission will have as its task distinguishing itself by making cogent recommendations. The Hockey committee, holding parallel hearings, has an equal chance of doing so.