How do political performances actually serve the people?

Crikey readers talk banking royal commissions and the cost of ambition.

Apr 19, 2016

On the establishment

Gavin Greenoak writes: Re. “Poll Bludger: many great political careers began with a preselection knifing” (yesterday). Reading Crikey’s detailed political coverage is to read how ambitious people who want power over others trade their standing or falling according to rules they themselves, in conflict with each other, strain to press into legality, entirely at the public’s expense. To ask how these often undignified and frequently meretricious performances serve the working people is doubtlessly considered naïve. But it bodes not well when every historically hard won principle is progressively sold out to political expediency, and a grievance gets us nowhere. This proliferating tissue of self interest defines “The Establishment”, and generates a desperate folly from which we cannot expect to remain immune for long.

On a banking royal commission

Colin Ross writes: Re. “Special sitting starts, but it’s all uphill for Turnbull” (yesterday). The “canary in the mine moment” was when a bank CEO thought that 83% customer satisfaction was evidence of good performance. The CEO of any major organisation, that has a customer satisfaction rating below 98%, should be on notice.

Also, the board that approves low KPI’s should resign and shareholders demand they pay back their obscene remuneration. Bring on a Royal Commission, and at the same time remove the government guarantee backing that has caused this appalling complacency in lending practice and the culture of taking the customer for granted.

Barry Welch writes: For generations sexual and physical abuse within families went unreported because it would damage the family name. For decades the church hierarchy covered for paedophile priests to protect the church.

Now Turnbull and Morrison are resisting a Royal Commission because it would undermine Confidence in the banks. At least we are doing something about family violence and, despite Pell, the sexual abuse by priests. Still the Liberal party is prepared to die in a ditch to protect its moneyed mates.