Bill Shorten's comments that the Coalition should "join with us and the voice of the people and have a banking royal commission" will add to the chills already running through the financial services sector.

For most of the eight-week election campaign, talk of a royal commission has barely been raised – or reported.

But growing uncertainty about who will govern this nation and what compromises will need to be made has given a banking royal commission a new lease of life.

Shorten went on Sky TV talking tough. He said Malcolm Turnbull should stop fighting so hard to defend the banks. "Nothing less than a royal commission into Australia's banking and financial services industry will suffice and it doesn't matter even if we don't fall across the line and form a government, but instead we are the opposition, we will be prosecuting the case for a banking royal commission."