Financial Services Minister’s trainwreck interview on bank inquiry

Cut and Paste took aim at Kelly O’Dwyer over the banking royal commission on Friday:

Doubting O’Dwyer embraces royal commission but won’t say she was wrong to pan it.

Cut and Paste also noted O’Dwyer’s inability to say she was wrong about the royal commission on Saturday:

Commission impossible: having your cake, eating it, and blaming Bill (Shorten) along the way

Did she read this column at all? O’Dwyer on Insiders, yesterday:

Barrie Cassidy: Were you wrong to delay the calling of a royal commission for as long as you did?

O’Dwyer: Well, Barrie, I think the record speaks for itself — we have taken action. We have taken action, we established the royal commission, Barrie. We didn’t do this ...

Cassidy: But you took so long to set it up. Were you wrong to do that?

O’Dwyer: I’m happy to answer your question, but you’ve got to give me a chance. We did it soberly, we did it carefully ...

Do you think we enjoy this, Kelly? British 80s pop singer Howard Jones, 1986:

Don’t want to fight anymore oh no / Don’t want to cry anymore no more / Don’t want to fight anymore oh no / Don’t want to cry anymore no more

Just admit you were wrong? Please? Yeah? Nah. Insiders, yesterday:

Cassidy: Were you wrong to delay it as long as you did?

O’Dwyer: Look, Barrie, I have answered your question.

Cassidy: No, you didn’t.

O’Dwyer: We have established ...

Cassidy: You have established it, but it was a long time coming. Were you wrong?

O’Dwyer: Let me put it to you this way.

Liberals everywhere are being haunted by their past pooh-poohing of the banking royal commission. A tweet from Liberal senator James Patterson from April 11, 2016:

A royal commission into the banks is completely unnecessary.

That tweet went viral this weekend. Yet another social media post the young senator will come to regret? Patterson on Twitter, July 17 last year:

Amazed at suggestions we should allow foreign nationals to serve in the Australian Parliament because two Greens MPs can’t manage basic admin.

By the way, here is a full list of Coalition MPs who fell foul of “basic admin”:

Nationals MP for New England Barnaby Joyce ... Liberal MP for Bennelong John Alexander ... Nationals senator for NSW Fiona Nash ... Liberals senator for Tasmania Stephen Parry.

Finally, farewell to Barbara Bush. The Wall Street Journal, yesterday:

Bush was fondly remembered at a memorial service ... as the fierce captain of an American political dynasty.

The President of the United States did not attend. Twitter, yesterday:

Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day!

Trump was very busy with lots of government business ... The President on Twitter, yesterday:

The Washington Post said I refer to (Attorney-General) Jeff Sessions as “Mr. Magoo” and (Deputy AG) Rod Rosenstein as “Mr. Peepers.” ... There are no such people and don’t know these characters ... just more Fake & Disgusting News to create ill will!