Doubting O’Dwyer embraces royal commission but won’t say she was wrong to pan it
Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer on ABC radio’s AM program, yesterday:
It’s fair to say that giving the royal commission broad terms of reference, giving it full autonomy to go after bad misconduct and to look into that right across the financial services sector was absolutely the right thing to do.
Sounds weird coming out of a Liberal minister’s mouth, doesn’t it? O’Dwyer on the ABC’s Insiders, November 5 last year:
You can have a talkfest that costs $150 million that kicks the can down the road for a number of years. Or you can do what we’re doing, which is already we’ve got legislation in the parliament right now that will address issues for small businesses and individuals who have a dispute with their financial institutions.
But now O’Dwyer won’t speak about her earlier refusal to back a royal commission. AM, continued:
Sabra Lane: Are you prepared to say it was wrong to argue against having such an inquiry?
O’Dwyer: Well, 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 …
Barnaby Joyce has admitted he was wrong. The former Nationals leader on Twitter, Wednesday:
In the past I argued against a Royal Commission into banking. I was wrong. What I have heard is so far is beyond disturbing.
Even Tony Abbott has seen the light. The ex-prime minister on Sydney’s 2GB with Chris Kenny, Wednesday:
Kenny: Do you agree now that the Labor Party was right to push for this royal commission?
Abbott: Well, given where we’re at, I suspect the royal commission has served a useful purpose and continues to pursue a useful purpose.
It’s OK, Kelly, you can say you were wrong. No judgment here, mate. AM, continued:
Lane: Trust is an issue here. Renewing faith with voters, you can’t even say that you got it wrong?
O’Dwyer: Well, let me say that we have got a royal commission, Sabra. I mean, I can’t be any clearer than that: we introduced a royal commission.
Sticking with Abbott, he isn’t very pleased he’s being lumped with Safe Schools. The former prime minister on Twitter, Wednesday night:
Just read (his stand-in on the night) Scott Ryan’s speech to the Foundation for Young Australians where Safe Schools was launched … not an Abbott Government commitment at all.
To be fair, Ryan did say Safe Schools was originally Labor’s idea. The Liberal senator’s speech, June 14, 2014:
Given the presence of Senator Wong, it is only fair that I acknowledge that this was a commitment of the previous government.
And the then Liberal leader was really busy with other stuff. Abbott in Canberra, September 15, 2015:
Labor’s bad taxes are gone. We’ve signed free trade agreements with our largest trading partners, with Japan, with Korea and with China … The boats have stopped …
But Abbott had been elected in a landslide. Surely he could have scrapped this “commitment of the previous government”? The Australian online, September 9, 2013:
… the Coalition tonight clearly won the election … The Coalition will have at least 90 seats in the new House of Representatives and Labor may hold more than 50.