Hypocrisy at new heights…

I’m not letting those mongrels claim credit for it now.

The hypocrisy over the banking Royal Commission really is breath-taking.

After fighting the need for a serious inquiry for over a year, and throwing every chair they could find in it’s path, the Coalition government is suddenly very proud of the Royal Commission that they delivered.

Are you guys for real?

I mean, it still wasn’t until sh!t was really getting real that the government started changing its tune. The CEO of AMP quit after admitting that they systematically charged customers for services they weren’t getting, while the CBA admitted that it knowingly charged dead people for advice.

(They really are the best customers).

And that’s barely the half of it. But no, now Barnaby Joyce is shocked and appalled.

“In the past I argued against a Royal Commission into banking. I was wrong. What I have heard is so far is beyond disturbing.”

C’mon tubby. Everyone knew the system stank. Where were you? Living under a Gina?

Treasurer Scott Morrison has found a sudden need to be talking tough too.

“I find what came out of the royal commission, as I said yesterday, deeply disturbing, and this type of despicable behaviour does carry jail sentences under the corporations act.”

You’re shocked too? Where were you? Living under a Barnaby?

And it’s all well and good to talk about jail time, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Remember Morrison labelled the calls for a Royal Commission “a populist whinge”. I expect calls for jail time will get the same treatment.

Meanwhile, Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer is taking credit for including life insurance companies.

“I think it is right that we have a broad inquiry that can look into all aspects of misconduct in the financial services sector, the ALP had argued for a very narrow one simply into the banks.”

I’m calling BS on that one. Total BS. The only reason you wanted to look at the entire financial services sector was so that it would dilute the focus on the big banks. You got lucky when it turns out AMP was pulling some pretty dodgy stuff.

But remember you lot were fighting this from the beginning. To try and take some ridiculous high-ground because Labor’s vision was too narrow (never mind that their focus on the banks has been stunningly vindicated) is gob-smackingly outrageous.

I am gob-smacked.

Of course, most media commentators have now switched sides as well. Many agreed with Morrison that it was a class war. No one’s singing that tune anymore.

Except maybe John Howard.

Just five months ago the former PM said:

“I would be staggered if the Coalition proposes a bank royal commission, that is rank socialism.”

You lot really are hopeless. Shamelessly running cover for your banking masters. You deserve to be hung out to dry with the (embarrassingly small number of) executives who will lose their heads over this.

But it won’t happen.

Giving a fuk about the integrity of the banking system is not ‘rank socialism’. Without a functioning financial sector, there is no capitalism.

Defending the integrity of the financial system is defending integrity of capitalism itself.

This is one area where we need to be extra vigilant. Once rot takes hold in the finance sector, the economy unravels.

You want a free and democratic economy, you need integrity in the banking sector.

It really is as simple as that.

But no, you’re all shocked.

Arse-hats.