The issue is, how do we get .CSV bank data into QuickBooks?

It's like you didn't read the question.

If .QBO was available  and working we wouldn't have a problem.

Only some accounts offer .QBO. For example this client's US bank account offers Quicken and .CSV. When I use a Quicken to .QBO converter Quickbooks still says the resulting .QBO file is not supported. 

There's a real problem with bank feeds not accepting .csv. Many bank accounts do not offer .QBO and the converter doesn't work for all Quicken files.