Australia’s PM says former PM Morrison took on secret ministerial roles during COVID

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought authorized recommendation following stories that his predecessor Scott Morrison was secretly appointed to key ministerial roles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, duplicating some portfolios.

Ministers are historically sworn in at a ceremony by the governor-general, however that didn’t occur within the case of the further roles, and Albanese stated it was unprecedented that key cupboard members weren’t conscious of the appointments.

“This was a centralisation of energy by the previous Prime Minister,” Albanese, who has sought recommendation from the solicitor-general, Australia’s second legislation officer, informed reporters on Monday.

“This is not some, you understand, native footy membership,” he added. “It is a authorities of Australia, the place the folks of Australia had been saved at nighttime as to what the ministerial preparations had been.”

Morrison, who was prime minister from 2018 to 2022, didn’t reply to a request for remark.

In an emailed assertion, the governor-general’s workplace informed Reuters the appointments had been legitimate beneath the structure, didn’t require a swearing-in ceremony, and added that publicising them was a matter for the federal government of the day.

“It’s not unusual for ministers to be appointed to manage departments aside from their portfolio duty,” the spokesperson for the governor-general’s secretary stated.

The governor-general adopted regular course of and acted on the federal government’s recommendation in appointing Morrison to manage portfolios in addition to his personal division and the cupboard, the spokesperson added.

The Australian newspaper stated Morrison was appointed well being minister in 2020, alongside Well being Minister Greg Hunt, to keep away from concentrating energy in a single individual when biosecurity emergency powers had been adopted to sort out the coronavirus pandemic.

He was later additionally appointed finance minister and sources minister. Former sources minister Keith Pitt informed broadcaster ABC the state of affairs was “uncommon” and he was “involved” when he was informed Morrison shared his tasks in 2021.

Morrison later blocked an offshore fuel challenge.

David Littleproud, the chief of the Nationwide occasion, the coalition associate of Morrison’s Liberals, informed ABC the information was “disappointing”, and added that the cupboard needs to be trusted.

It was not instantly clear what the implications had been for the Liberal occasion’s coalition with the Nationwide occasion.

“These revelations do increase into query our Westminster system of presidency,” stated Bridget McKenzie, the Nationwide chief within the higher home.

“Who’s the senior minister, what in the event that they disagreed?” she requested the ABC.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Modifying by Clarence Fernandez)