Labor has begun national tour to hear the stories of victims of banking misconduct who did not get an opportunity to speak at the royal Commission.
Commissioner Kenneth Hayne handed down his interim report last week, saying regulators had not fallen short of their obligations, and there was systemic culture of human greed in the banking sector that went far beyond "a few bad apples".
The Commission said all of the 9000-plus submissions have been read, even though only 27 people have told their stories in open hearings.
The leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten (right) speaks with staff member Dianne Dejanovic at the Consumer Action Law Centre in Melbourne. Source: AAP
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten said the federal government's decision to dismiss Labor's request for a time extension for the commission has forced the party to act.
"There are literally thousands of victims who feel restricted -- that they are not getting their chance to explain what happened to them," he said.
"I think it is important that we keep the focus on making sure that the victims do not get forgotten."
The opposition spokesperson for financial services, Clare O'Neil, said the listening tour is aimed at ensuring victims' voices are involved in the process of final recommendations
"My hope is that those forums, if successful, will continue to the end of the year so we can let bank victims have a say in this process that we believe they have a right to," she said.
Bill Shorten said he keeps being asked the same question when speaking to voters.
"How come no-one from the banks has gone to jail? When you see this theft, when you see the systemic looting of Australian consumers, just as someone said to me before in the session we were in, if you steal from a bank, you go to jail, but vice-versa, they get a promotion and a bonus and a big car."
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg accused Labor of playing politics.
Commissioner Hayne will hold a seventh round of public hearings from November 19, at which bank CEOs are scheduled to appear.
"The government's interest, Scott Morrison's interest, are in ensuring that this behaviour does not happen again," he said.
"We will do everything that is necessary to ensure that we have greater culture of compliance and better conduct in the banking and financial system."
He agreed with Commissioner Hayne's assessment that greed was the primary motive.
"Fairness, honesty and decency have gone out the window as profits over people have motivated the banks."
