Katter crashes inquiry
THE banking Royal Commission had elements of a sideshow yesterday as Kennedy federal MP Bob Katter became vocal inside the inquiry.
Mr Katter made his presence felt from the first few minutes of yesterday’s hearings in Brisbane after he asked that witnesses “speak up’’ and was swiftly admonished by Commissioner Kenneth Hayne.
After hearing the ANZ Bank’s admission it had behaved unethically in its treatment of Winton grazier Charlie Phillott who was forced off his property in 2014, Mr Katter stood up at the lunch adjournment and asked: “Why are these things happening and what are we going to do about it to improve it in the future?
“Is the commission going to address these issues?’’
Mr Hayne told Mr Katter there was a great deal of work going on behind the scenes before, during and after the royal commission.
“Ultimately the fruits of that work are going to have to appear in my report,’’ Mr Hayne said.
Outside the hearing, Mr Katter said he supported and respected Mr Hayne but it was clear to him the original “people’s’’ royal commission which he had proposed had been watered down.
He said he was deeply concerned that not enough people seeking leave to appear were being given a chance to tell their stories.
“It ( the commission) has been filtered through a forensic process which is filtering out the rage and the passion,’’ he said, surrounded by more than 20 angry farmers and graziers who voiced their support. “I do not believe a commissioner can do his job adequately or properly unless he feels the pain of what is taking place out there.’’
Mr Katter said the banks would weather the inquiry, then resume business as usual.
Mr Phillott said he supported Mr Katter and urged banks to tailor their services to rural industry in the same way they tailor services to industry.
He said he felt vindicated by his long struggle with the ANZ, which took his property in 2014 but returned it in 2015 after ANZ chief executive Mike Smith personally intervened. “I felt vindicated all the way along,’’ he said.
Mr Hayne said the Queensland sittings would be devoted entirely to farming finance for the rest of the week and the scheduled natural disaster insurance matters heard in Melbourne in September.
He said he knew that would be a major inconvenience to witnesses who had been prepared for the hearings in Queensland because of the frequency of floods and cyclones in the state.