Analysis
At a time when democracy is under strain and threat around the world, and trust in institutions is fragile, the decision by former prime minister Scott Morrison to secretly appoint himself to five ministries — including Treasury — is both unfathomable and alarming.
It matters because protecting our democracy matters.
The notion that he was doing this — essentially for our own good — to protect us at a time of intense economic challenges and a health emergency smacks of arrogance and is self-serving.
If the then-prime minister genuinely believed he needed these additional powers to safeguard in the event of illness of one of his cabinet ministers — why did he not tell the ministers themselves? Why was the public kept in the dark? Why was a quiet plan hatched away from parliamentary scrutiny?
Democracy survives and thrives on the basis of transparency and clear lines of responsibility.
Former ministers red hot with rage
Scott Morrison has done enormous damage to the reputation of the previous government.
His former ministers are red hot with rage that he has acted in a manner that has hurt the legacy of the previous government and further damaged the Liberal Party brand they are desperately trying to restore.
Revelations that Morrison was appointed to five additional ministries, including treasury and home affairs, have been labelled by Anthony Albanese as an "unprecedented trashing of our democracy".
Following investigations from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Albanese said the former prime minister may have held those positions until the Coalition's election loss in May. We were recently in an election campaign with absolutely no knowledge that he was secretly in charge of several other ministries.
Morrison told 2GB he doesn't recall appointing himself to any other portfolios besides the three that were being reported — health, finance, and resources. How can he have forgotten making himself treasurer? How does one just forget that they are also home affairs minister?
The alarming revelation have led to calls for him to resign and leave parliament.
Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews said she had "no idea" the former prime minister had sworn himself into her portfolio and for a prime minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a "federal government constitutionally should stand for".
The legal advice sought by Albanese from the solicitor-general will be available next Monday.
When asked whether Albanese was critical of the Governor-General's role in Morrison's appointments, the Prime Minister said "it's very clear" that the responsibility was with the Morrison government.
After days of mounting outrage and an interview on 2GB that enraged rather than calmed his former ministers, Morrison issued a statement saying that, with hindsight, his moves to take on additional ministries were unnecessary.
He said he took on the powers of the health, finance, treasury and home affairs ministers due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and that he never exercised any of those powers and would have publicly announced if he was doing so.
However, he says, the move to take on the powers overseeing the Department of Industry, Energy and Resources was separate and specific to a decision around the controversial PEP11 offshore exploration licence.
Morrison apologised for any offence caused to his colleagues, describing them as an "outstanding team who did an excellent job".
If they were such an outstanding team, why didn't he trust them to make decisions without him shadowing them secretly? How could Josh Frydenberg — who he lived with in Canberra during the pandemic — not know he had a secret treasurer over the top of him? It defies logic.
The statement by the former PM will not shut down anger or calls for his resignation — and inside the Coalition there is outright contempt for the man who led them to a thumping defeat.
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