New federal ICAC takes aim at Sly ScoMo

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Max Opray, Schwartz Media’s morning editor, has neatly summed up the revelations that former Prime Minister Scott Morrison secretly gave himself joint responsibility for the health, finance and resources ministries, in contravention of the Westminster democratic system of government:

  • The Albanese government has ordered a search for documents authorising former prime minister Scott Morrison to secretly take joint control over multiple ministerial portfolios and sought advice on whether it was legal to do so.
  • The investigation will explore if Scott Morrison made more “extraordinary and un­precedented” secret ­appointments during the pandemic beyond taking on the portfolios of health, finance and resources.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ordered the search for documents, declaring Morrison had been running a “shadow government” that was “unbecoming, cynical and just weird … contrary to the Westminster system”.
  • Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue QC will examine the ­legality of Morrison’s ministerial moves.
  • Current and former Coalition MPs, including Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Paul Fletcher and Bridget McKenzie, said on Monday they knew little or nothing about the arrangement.
  • Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull described the move as “sinister stuff”.
  • A spokesperson for the governor-general, David Hurley, confirmed Morrison was appointed to “administer portfolios other than the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet” and that such appointments did not require a swearing-in ceremony, only the signing of an administrative instrument.
  • “Such a lack of transparency is indicative of a lack of respect for the institutions of government and for the general public who have a right to know how power is allocated,” wrote constitutional law expert Professor Anne Twomey.
  • Morrison declined to comment on Monday, telling Sky News: “I haven’t seen what he [Albanese] has said. Since leaving the job I haven’t engaged in any day-to-day politics.”

In response, independent MPs are calling for Scott Morrison’s actions to be investigated by the upcoming federal integrity body:

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.