Politics was just the internship for the real job... lobbying for the banks! And who better to represent them than a former finance minister?

It’s all perfectly legal, of course. And you can’t begrudge pollies for pursuing a career post-parliament. But appointments like this still feel wrong.

I suppose it’s always been this way. Money buys access. Access buys power...

Not that Birmingham’s an outlier here. He’s replacing Anna Bligh. Christopher Pyne joined EY as a defence consultant days after leaving politics. Julie Bishop landed at Palladium and is on various boards. Stephen Conroy now heads the wagering industry’s lobby group. And Nick Minchin is now lobbying for tobacco and oil. I'm sure there are others.

Makes you sick.