Former Australia PM ‘undermined’ responsible government with secret appointments: Solicitor general

SYDNEY: Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret appointments to ministries during the COVID-19 pandemic “fundamentally undermined” responsible government despite being legally valid, according to advice from the solicitor general.

The advice from the country’s second-highest law officer was a “very clear criticism” of the implications for Australia’s parliamentary democracy, current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Tuesday (Aug 23).

Morrison, who stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party after losing a general election in May, has faced a barrage of criticism from the Labor government and his own party, after it was revealed he was secretly sworn in to five ministries without telling parliament or his cabinet.

Albanese said his cabinet had agreed “there will be a need for a further inquiry” into the matter, to answer questions on how the unprecedented assumption of power occurred and the need for reform.

“Scott Morrison owes the Australian people an apology for undermining our parliamentary democracy system of government that we have – something that can’t be taken for granted,” Albanese said.

In the written advice, the solicitor general was critical that Morrison’s appointments to the ministries were not made public, saying it was inconsistent with the system of responsible government prescribed by the Constitution.

“That is because it is impossible for Parliament and the public to hold Ministers accountable for the proper administration of particular departments if the identity of the Ministers who have been appointed to administer those departments is not publicised,” it said.

Morrison said he had acted in good faith to “protect Australia in the face of multiple crises”.

The solicitor general had said his ministerial appointments were valid and there was “no consistent practice” to gazette such appointments, he said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.

The solicitor general’s advice would “help guide any changes in these areas”, Morrison added, in a lengthy defence of his actions.