Kenneth Hayne’s banking royal commission gets reinforcements

As the bank inquiry gets cracking, its forces have been beefed up with the appointment of Michael Hodge QC as counsel assisting.

The Royal Commission into the Financial Services Industry opening hearing on February 12. (Eddie Jim/Fairfax/Pool)

In a bygone era, when the financial services royal commission was just finding its feet and Ken Hayne was nailing down a couple of counsel assisting, this column foolishly described the inquiry’s early tempo as “ambulatory”.

That was late December.

Suffice to say that a maelstrom has now descended, with banks and mortgage brokers drowning in a sea of notices and commission staff gasping for air as they try and process millions of documents.

Only hours after The Australian reported this morning that Hayne was seeking an extra division of legal and administrative staff to restore equilibrium, the commissioner announced the appointment of Michael Hodge QC as counsel assisting.

He also confirmed that Albert Dinelli would join existing counsel Rowena Orr QC, Eloise Dias and Mark Costello.

As previously reported, Dinelli is the substitute for Michael Borsky QC, who has withdrawn for personal reasons unconnected to the commission.

It’s all reminiscent of US General David Petraeus’s successful “surge” strategy in post-war Iraq.

It remains to be seen, however, if the commission appoints an external law firm to tag-team the hard-pressed Australian Government Solicitor, as was rumoured last week.

Asked yesterday about imminent personnel moves, a tight-lipped spokesman ​said the commission had engaged counsel assisting, solicitors assisting and administrative staff to support its work, and would operate from premises in Melbourne.

“Over the term of the inquiry, the size of the commission’s workforce will vary,” he offered.

How true.

Richard Gluyas’ next Four Pillars column is in tomorrow’s paper