During the Covid-19 epidemic, Scott Morrison was covertly sworn in as health minister, finance minister, and resources minister in a remarkable sequence of acts that the current Labor government is now investigating.
Early in 2020, the then-prime minister decided he intended to divide authority with the incumbent health and finance ministers, Greg Hunt and Mathias Cormann, to avoid them from exerting an excessive amount of control over the nation’s biosecurity laws and finances during the crisis.
The proposal was approved by attorney general Christian Porter, according to the new book Plagued about the federal government’s response to the outbreak.
Mr. Morrison reportedly said to Mr. Hunt, “I trust you, friend, but I’m also swearing in as health minister.”
Since then, it has been discovered that the former prime minister was sworn in as resources minister in April 2021 in order to prevent Keith Pitt from authorizing a massive oil and gas project off the Central Coast, where Liberal members were under pressure from climate activists and teal independents.
Concerned Mr. Pitt did not learn that the project had been terminated until December, when he wanted to proceed forward with it.
Premier Anthony Albanese criticized the hidden acts and is seeking legal counsel to see whether they were lawful.
“This is absolutely remarkable. Monday in Melbourne, he told reporters that Australians want a prime minister who is focused on their assigned duties.
Mr. Morrison said to Sky News that he did not desire to respond and added, ‘I have not seen what he has said. Since leaving my previous position, I have not participated in day-to-day politics.
Bill Shorten on Scott Morrison: I don’t know whether he has a messianic complex or if he felt he was the Australian equivalent of Kanye.
The book, published by writers at The Australian, explains why Mr. Morrison sought to share authority with the health and finance ministers by stating that he thought there needed to be more checks and balances before any one minister could wield such power.
The health minister was responsible for closing the nation’s borders, while the finance minister oversaw Australia’s greatest fiscal stimulus in its history.
The powers could not be assigned to Cabinet, therefore Mr. Morrison “conceive[d] a bold and covert strategy with the consent of Porter.”
Mr. Hunt was aware of the decision, and Mr. Morrison, Mr. Hunt, and Mr. Porter believed that the measure protected “against any one minister having unlimited control.”
However, Mr. Cormann was allegedly unaware that Mr. Morrison was sharing his position, and Mr. Pitt reportedly complained to deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce that the prime minister was interfering with his sphere of influence.
Governor-General David Hurley stated in a statement released on Monday that he swore Mr. Morrison into a number of ministries by signing a “administrative document,” meaning no public ceremony was necessary.
On April 15, 2021, he named Mr. Morrison as administrator of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources.
The current administration is responsible for deciding whether or not to disclose nominations to handle new ministries, according to the statement.
The Governor-General said that the appointments were authorized under Article 64 of the Constitution. Monday at a news conference, Mr. Albanese criticized his predecessor.
The Australian populace was kept in the dark on ministerial plans. He said that that was utterly inappropriate.
“There is an essential necessity for transparent clarity. This situation never should have occurred.
“You know, we do have a non-presidential form of governance in our nation, but Scott Morrison centralized power, overrode ministerial decisions, and did it all in secret.” Government Services Minister Bill Shorten described the action as “strange” and accused evangelical Christian Mr. Morrison of having a “messianic” mentality.
He was out of the country and ghosting his own cabinet colleagues. Mr. Shorten said on ABC radio, “I don’t know whether it’s a messianic complex or if he felt he was the Australian equivalent of Kanye.”
I had no idea what was going through his mind. Why not inform people, why maintain secrecy?
This pertains to the Constitution and our whole system of governance. I have yet to get a satisfactory explanation from you.
Mr. Shorten said that Mr. Morrison’s action demonstrated that he “did not trust his colleagues.”