The naked truth at Mac Bank

According to that reputable news source ninemsn, the employment of the young Macquarie banker at the centre of yesterday's internet sensation hangs in the balance.

While Mac Bank decides whether to be lenient on their junior-burger or to kick him in to touch, let's decide where the news is in a young man ogling near naked photos of supermodel Miranda Kerr yesterday.

There is no news in the fact most blokes – and many women – would look at shots of a near naked Miranda Kerr on the internet. And tracking would show many have no problems doing it in the office.

But doing it during a live-cross to a news network?

The guy got through the Mac Bank psyche testing so he can't be a total dill (narcissistic and driven maybe – but not a dill), so he must not have realised there was a camera behind him. Perhaps, he thought he wasn't on camera. Well the charitable person in me hopes so.

The fact he was in an open office where anyone could look over his shoulder suggests he didn't think it was risky office behaviour – and that's a problem.

The fact the Mac Bank fire-wall let the near-naked images through could have been a result of Mac bankers working on the Myer prospectus and (drudgery of drudgery) having to look at images of Myer mascot Jen Hawkins every moment of the day. But come on, Miranda works for David Jones so that can't have been it.

So let's face it – it was delicious fodder for news outlets and a hit on the internet because it was a sensationally stupid stuff-up that played into so many young-banker stereotypes. And it included near naked images of Miranda Kerr. It was like shooting fish in a barrel – congratulations to the cameraman for wallowing in it. It comes as no surprise that it was picked up around the world and on quality current affairs shows like A Current Affair. (Incidentally, the story ran on page 4 of The Australian rather than 'CityBeat' in the business section or 'Strewth' in section two...that was a surprise).

It's a debate worth having – for people with attention spans for these kinds of issues that are longer than a nano-second – is whether the guy should be sacked.

By late afternoon Sydney's Daily Telegraph was running a reader poll on the subject...with a resounding 85 per cent of the public suggesting David Kiely should not be sacked.

There can be little doubt that his employment contract includes something about not bringing his employer into disrepute. Having its brand swim in muck around the world was probably not in the approved communications plan – the story and video has been picked up in the UK, US and Canada already.

What's more teenage boys are not the main clients of Mac Bank's private wealth unit so winning their support is probably not going support anyone's cause. (But then why am I splitting hairs on the basis of men's age?) So should he keep his job? It's Mac Bank's call and there's no doubt there are official and unofficial sides on it, but it surely tests a number of principles they hold dear. Then again there is the option of counselling him for his wrong-doings and being a benevolent employer. It will be interesting to see what they decide – and if it impacts anyone up the junior-burgers' food chain.

But, of course, given Mac Bank have delayed their decision to later in the week it will be Tuesday's news. Will anyone still care? That's the first clever move in this whole affair.