Scott Morrison falls under public scrutiny, pressured to resign after ministerial portfolios scandal

By CHRISTINE LAI

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has fallen under public scrutiny in a scandal where reports found him holding five secret ministerial portfolios while in power. The significant backlash following the news has resulted in crossbenchers pressuring parliamentary inquiries into Mr Morrison’s actions and a demand for his resignation from Federal Parliament.

In 2020 and 2021, Mr Morrison appointed himself to five cabinet ministries – Health, Finance, Home Affairs, Treasury and Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. This was done without notifying ministers, and the public and without any pushback from the Governor-General.

UNSW Sydney Gilbert and Tobin Centre for Constitutional Law hosted a panel on the current constitutional issues surrounding former Prime Minister Scott Morrison which discussed the crisis of accountability in the Australian parliament across the secretive ministerial appointments.

Panellists included UNSW constitutional law experts Professor George Williams and Professor Rosalind Dixon, Director of the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, and University of Sydney constitutional law Professor Anne Twomey.

Prof Williams discussed the importance of transparency and trust built into the system of the Australian government which was undermined by Morrison’s five appointments to portfolios.

“We don’t have a presidential system; we have a cabinet-based system, and that system is based upon trust, and it relies on a group of people governing the country to deal with that crisis. What we saw was a response that undermined the effectiveness of that system by doubling up on jobs, by removing the proper scrutiny of parliament. I think that rather than helping, it actually threatened to undermine those efforts,” Prof Williams said.

Criticisms on transparency

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek called the revelations that Morrison secretly took on decision-making powers across several portfolio areas “very concerning”.

“This is an unprecedented act and demonstrates a disregard for our democratic processes. It raises serious questions about the actions of the previous government,” Plibersek said.

Mr Morrison has apologised for swearing himself into his former colleagues’ portfolios but used the COVID-19 pandemic to defend his actions and insisted on the need for “emergency powers” during the height of the virus.

The former prime minister said that he did not share the view that he had deceived the Australian public by withholding information and that he did not believe it was necessary to announce him taking on additional powers unless he were to use them.

When asked if this news should warrant a push for a federal Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Plibersek said that the current Labor government had gone into the election “promising to restore integrity and transparency to politics” and the previous Prime Minister’s action demonstrated the “importance to have a national anti-corruption commission.”

“Labor committed to establishing a national anti-corruption commission with teeth, and our Attorney General Mark Dreyfus has advised that he hopes to have it up and running by mid-2023,” Plibersek said.

Prof Williams called the lack of knowledge of the former prime minister’s actions by the cabinet members “troubling”, stating that it “really strikes at the heart of the proper operation of the cabinet.”

“The issue about secrecy and transparency has elevated this from a really unwise decision that probably should never have happened into something much larger because the secrecy itself is what really gets to the heart of why this is a problem.”

Former PM declares he’s never used additional powers 

The former prime minister has insisted he never exercised the powers, except for the resources portfolio.

“The fact that ministers were unaware of these things is actually proof of my lack of interference or intervention in any of their activities,” he said.

“I was only ever going to use them in an emergency situation. I understand the offence that some of my colleagues particularly have, have felt about this.

Calls for resignation 

Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews has called for Scott Morrison to resign from Parliament following these revelations.

Speaking to news.com.au, Ms Andrews said that she had “no idea” he had appointed himself to her portfolio, calling it “totally unacceptable.”

“For a prime minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a federal government constitutionally should stand for,” she said.