Key Points
- Scott Morrison assumed control over five key ministries - health, finance, treasury, home affairs, and resources.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Mr Morrison will face a censure motion.
- Mr Morrison said the decisions were taken during an extremely challenging period.
Labor will push to make Scott Morrison the first MP formally condemned by parliament in nearly half a decade over the secret ministries scandal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed.
And Mr Albanese says Labor will move to ensure his predecessor’s actions are “never, ever” repeated, days after a damning report into the affair was released.
The report, released on Friday, found Mr Morrison undermined public trust in government by secretly assuming control over five key ministries between 2020 and 2021.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Mr Albanese confirmed his predecessor would face a censure motion moved by Labor this week.
“This is about accountability of our democratic system, and whether the parliament was functioning properly,” he said.
“The former prime minister wasn't responsible to the parliament, and through the parliament to the electors … That had [the] real consequence of acting to undermine public confidence in government, and was corrosive of trust in government.”
If successful, Mr Morrison would become the first MP since 2018 to be formally condemned by parliament.
How Scott Morrison took on multiple ministries in secret
The report, conducted by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, labelled his appointments “bizarre” and “unnecessary”, finding he also thought about taking over the agriculture portfolio.
Mr Albanese revealed cabinet had also given the green light to all six recommendations of the Bell inquiry, including introducing laws that would ensure all new ministerial appointments are made public.
“These are serious recommendations going forward. We will introduce legislation later this week to make sure that this can never, ever happen again,” he said.
Speaking before the announcement on Monday, Liberal frontbencher Paul Fletcher dismissed a potential censure motion as a “political stunt”.
"The proper purpose of a censure motion under the standing orders is to bring a minister to account to the parliament, it's not to be used as some kind of political payback exercise,” he told Sky News.
It was revealed in August Mr Morrison assumed control over five key ministries - health, finance, treasury, home affairs, and resources - without the knowledge of the public or the vast majority of his colleagues.
He did not relinquish control before the May election.
The Liberals will vote against the motion and Nationals leader David Littleproud said on Monday the junior Coalition partner would follow suit.
Mr Littleproud stressed the Bell inquiry recommendations have bipartisan support, describing the motion as “another layer of politicisation”.
“Why would we support something that's a sideshow? We've been very clear from the start … that Scott Morrison did the wrong thing,” he said.
“It's time to move on.”
Responding to the inquiry on Friday, Mr Morrison said he had cooperated with the inquiry and defended his actions, noting Justice Bell had made no findings of illegality.
He rejected calls for his resignation, insisting he would continue as member for Cook.
“These decisions were taken during an extremely challenging period, where there was a need for considerable urgency,” he said.
“I note that the criticisms of my decisions have been made after the event and with the benefit of this perspective.”
Mr Morrison is known to have used his secret powers only once, to scuttle the PEP-11 gas project which was causing internal division in the Coalition.
“This was done lawfully from first principles. My intent to do so was also advised to the relevant Minister in advance,” he said.
