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Australia

Prime Minister to investigate claims of Scott Morrison’s secret ministry grab during COVID-19

Prime Minister to investigate claims of Scott Morrison's secret ministry grab during COVID-19

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government will investigate claims former prime minister Scott Morrison swore himself in as joint health, finance and resources minister during the height of the pandemic.

Mr Albanese says the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is seeking legal advice from the solicitor-general.

The ABC understands then-health minister Greg Hunt agreed to Mr Morrison’s joint position as a safeguard to incapacitation from COVID-19, but that Matthias Cormann was not told that Mr Morrison had appointed himself as joint finance minister.

Former resources minister Keith Pitt has told the ABC Mr Morrison also used his self appointment to Mr Pitt’s portfolio to block a controversial petroleum exploration licence.

Prime Minister Albanese said the revelations were “extraordinary”.

“The people of Australia were kept in the dark as to what the ministerial arrangements were, it’s completely unacceptable,” Mr Albanese said.

This is very contrary to our Westminster system. It was cynical and it was just weird that this has occurred.”

Mr Albanese said it was a serious allegation, but also “just weird”.

“Perhaps this explains why we didn’t order enough vaccines. I mean, the Minister for Health might have thought the Prime Minister was ordering them because he was also the Minister for Health, and he thought the Minister for Health was ordering them,” Mr Albanese joked.

Former Morrison minister slams secret appointments

Nationals leader David Littleproud, who served as agriculture minister under Mr Morrison, told ABC Radio this morning he did not know the former prime minister had sworn himself into several roles.

“That’s pretty ordinary, as far as I’m concerned,” Mr Littleproud said.

“If you have a government cabinet, you trust your cabinet.”

Mr Littleproud said to his knowledge, the then-Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was also not made aware of Mr Morrison’s self-appointments.

“These are decisions of Scott Morrison. I don’t agree with them, and I’m prepared to say that openly and honestly,” Mr Littleproud said.

Little proud looks off camera, bordered by two silhouetted figures.
David Littleproud says the former prime minister was wrong to secretly swear himself into several roles.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Mr Morrison also used his self-appointment to the resources portfolio to overrule the then-minister to block a petroleum exploration license off the NSW Central Coast.

National MP Keith Pitt told the ABC he “certainly made inquiries” when Mr Morrison told him about the joint-appointment, but ultimately accepted the move.

“I certainly found it unusual, but as I said I worked very closely with Scott through a very difficult period through COVID,” Mr Pitt said.

“I’m just not going to throw him under a bus, I just won’t.

“It was clearly something I was concerned about, as you would expect.”

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, who lost the 2019 election to Mr Morrison, said it was a bizarre decision by the former prime minister.

“To find out he was ghosting his own cabinet ministers, goodness me, he was off on a trip,” Mr Shorten said.

“Honestly I’ve never heard of this, in World War II I’m not aware John Curtin swore himself in as Defense Minister … I don’t know what was going through [Mr Morrison’s] head.

“If he felt the need to do it, why not tell people? Why be secretive?”

Mr Albanese said he would not pre-empt the findings of the solicitor-general as to whether the former prime minister broke the law.

But he noted it was possible there were other secret appointments made by Mr Morrison.

Constitutional expert says self-appointments were inexplicable

Professor Anne Twomey, an expert in constitutional law, said it was “confusing” how Mr Morrison may have taken joint control of several portfolios.

Professor Twomey said only the Governor-General can swear in a minister, but noted reports that Mr Morrison may have found an administrative workaround.

She said there were already provisions for other ministers to take over portfolios if a minister is incapacitated, and it seemed unnecessary.

“What on Earth was going on, I don’t know, but the secrecy involved in this is just bizarre,” Professor Twomey said.

“You just wonder what’s wrong with these people that they have to do everything in secret.”

live updates

By Shiloh Payne

That’s all for the press conference

To recap, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he will be seeking legal advice from his department after revelations Scott Morrison appointed himself to multiple portfolios.

Here’s what we know:

  • Mr Morrison granted himself powers of Health, Finance and Resources Minister at various points when he was Prime Minister.
  • Some Ministers knew at the time, but others didn’t.
  • Mr Albanese has described the former prime minister’s actions as contemplated for the democratic process.
  • Mr Albanese will be briefed on the claims later this afternoon.

The solicitor-general will also be providing advice.

By Shiloh Payne

PM describes Morrison’s actions as ‘contempt for democratic process’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Scott Morrison’s appointments as different ministers could have caused confusion in the government.

“Perhaps this explains why we didn’t order enough vaccines,” he says.

“The Minister for Health might have thought the Prime Minister was ordering them because he was also the Minister for Health and he thought the Minister for Health was ordering them.”

“What we know is that this is a shambles and it needs clearing up and the Australian people deserve better than this contempt for democratic processes and for our Westminster system of government, which is what we have seen trashed by the Morrison Government.”

By Shiloh Payne

Key Event

Will the solicitor-general look into this?

The Prime Minister is taking questions.

He was asked if the solicitor-general will look into these claims regarding Scott Morrison, here’s what he says:

“I have asked the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,” he says.

“We will be seeking advice from appropriate people including the Solicitor-General about all of these issues.

I’ll be getting a full briefing this afternoon. This is dripping out like a tap that needs a washer fixed and what we need is actually to get the full flow of all the information out there and then we’ll make a decision about a way forward here.

“But these circumstances should never have arisen.”

By Shiloh Payne

‘Nothing about the last government was real, PM says

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there is an ‘absolute need’ for clear transparency.

“This isn’t some local footy club,” Mr Albanese says.

“This is a government of Australia where the people of Australia were kept in the dark as to what the ministerial arrangements were.”

“It’s completely unacceptable.”

By Shiloh Payne

PM: ‘Whole lot of questions arise’ from Morrison portfolio claims

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says claims that Scott Morrison took on additional portfolios as “extraordinary and unprecedented”.

He says he will have briefings on the situation when he returns to Canberra this afternoon.

“A whole lot of questions arise from this,” he says.

“What did Peter Dutton and other continuing members of the now shadow ministry know about these circumstances?

“How is it that the Australian people can be misled whereby we know now that Scott Morrison was not only being Prime Minister, but was Minister for Health, was Minister for Industry and Science at the same time as resources, was the Minister for Finance, and we had the extraordinary revelation that Mathias Cormann, apparently, wasn’t aware that Scott Morrison was the Minister for Finance as well as himself.”

By Shiloh Payne

Key Event

You can watch the press conference here

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking in Melbourne.

You can watch it here:

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By Shiloh Payne

Anthony Albanese is speaking in Melbourne

Close up of Anthony Albanese. He wears glasses with a black frame and a suit with a yellow tie.
(Supplied: James Alcock)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking to the media in Melbourne.

He is expected to discuss the government’s plans to investigate claims that former prime minister Scott Morrison had secretly sworn himself into three ministerial positions at the height of the pandemic.

There are claims Mr Morrison swore himself in as joint health, finance and resources minister.

Good morning, I’m Shiloh Payne and I’ll be taking you through the latest updates.

posted , updated

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Categories
Australia

John Howard reflects on the Liberals defeat at the Federal Election under Scott Morrison

John Howard reflects on the Liberals defeat at the Federal Election under Scott Morrison

Former prime minister John Howard has weighed in on what went wrong for the Liberal Party in its 2022 Federal Election campaign that ended with the Coalition losing power after nine years.

In his first interview since the May 21 defeat, Mr Howard – who led the Liberals to four election victories – told The Australian the party was badly hurt by its failure to properly outline its vision for the nation.

“The absence of a program for the future… the absence of some kind of manifesto, hurt us very badly,” Mr Howard told the publication.

“There’s a shelf-life to argue that we can manage things better… you have got to keep arguing for something.”

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The Liberals under Scott Morrison lost 18 seats at the election, reducing the Coalition to 58 seats overall. The Nationals held all their seats.

Labor took 10 seats from the Liberals, the Greens picked up two and Teal Independents won the remaining six seats.

Mr Howard, whose latest book A Sense of Balance is out on August 17, revealed another one of the mistakes the Liberals made was “to take its natural constituency for granted”.

“One of the reasons we suffered more is the Teals did offer, as it happened, something that was attractive to people who were unenthusiastic about the Liberal Party but really couldn’t bring themselves to vote Labor,” he said.

Mr Howard’s remarks come as the Liberal Party undertakes a review into its Federal Election defeat.

The review – led by former Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane and opposition frontbencher Jane Hume – will include responses to the success of teal independents as well as the Coalition’s climate change policies.

Also under microscope will be how the Liberals lost six out of nine seats across the top 15 Chinese-Australian electorates.

The Australian reported this week Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been advised to scale back the Coalition’s attacks on Beijing and adopt a more subtle approach in a bid to win back Chinese-Australian voters.

The revelation came as recent Australian Bureau of Statistics census data overlaid with election results found the party suffered above average swings against it in electorates with high numbers of Chinese-Australian voters.

Post-polling suggested the Morrison government’s anti-China rhetoric alienated Chinese-Australian voters who would otherwise prefer the Coalition on economic matters.

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg lost his seat of Kooyong – which has Chinese-Australian voter base of 19 per cent- to teal independent Monique Ryan following his crackdown on Chinese foreign investment in response to Beijing’s sanctions on Australian imports.

In the seat of Bennelong, a 13 per cent swing against the Liberal Party was recorded in polling booths in Eastwood, where 38 per cent of residents have Chinese heritage.

The Coalition also lost the Victorian seat of Chisholm, which boasts a Chinese-Australian voter base of 28.9 per cent, while it narrowly retained the seat of Menzies – where 26.7 per cent of voters are of Chinese heritage – by just 1,377 votes.

Mr Dutton said his criticisms of China were not about its people – it was about the country’s government.

“If you look back at my transcripts, I’ve been at pains to talk about China under President Xi. President Xi has appointed himself leader for life,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“It’s like our criticism about Russia under President Putin – our criticism is not of the Russian people. When we talk about problems that we have with other countries, our comments aren’t an attack on those people, it’s on that dictatorship.

“I mean, our attacks on the North Korean dictator, when you talk about that, it’s not an attack on the North Korean people and talk of that is just absurd.”

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Categories
Australia

Complete rubbish’: Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley rips into Labor and the Greens over Australia’s political landscape

Complete rubbish': Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley rips into Labor and the Greens over Australia's political landscape

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley says Labor and the Greens believing Australia had become a “lefty country” is “complete rubbish”.

Ms Ley made the remarks during a speech to the NSW Liberal state council meeting on Saturday as she discussed the Coalition’s defeat at the May Federal Election.

“Two months on from the Federal Election and the Labor Party, the Greens, their supporters, their cheerleaders on Twitter, want you to believe that the Liberal Party will never form government again,” she said.

“They want you to believe that Anthony Albanese will be Prime Minister for the next 20 years.

“They want you to believe that Australia, the lucky country, has become Australia, the lefty country – it is complete rubbish.”

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The Coalition was reduced to 58 seats nationwide following the Federal Election, which saw them booted from office after nine years in power.

The Liberals lost the NSW seats of Bennelong, Reid and Robertson to Labor, and Mackellar, Wentworth and North Sydney to teal independents.

Peter Dutton took over the Liberal Party leadership from Scott Morrison in the wake of the election defeat, while Ms Ley became deputy leader after Josh Frydenberg lost his seat of Kooyong in Melbourne.

Ms Ley said Australians were “relying on us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and stand up for them”.

“The Liberal Party has been written off before but let me assure you, under Peter Dutton’s leadership we’ve got a big three years ahead,” she said.

“Because Peter and I have a three year plan. It’s not a six year plan, it’s not a nine year plan, it’s a three year plan. And NSW is central to that plan.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, in his speech to the meeting, noted a lesson from the Coalition’s federal election loss in May was how the Liberal Party chooses its candidates.

He said he wanted the party to have more female and culturally diverse candidates contesting the March 2023 state election.

“One of the most important rights of our party members is the power to select candidates that represent your values. This state council made a decision for democratic reform,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Today I can announce that within two weeks we will open preselections across the state for the next election.

“As the leader of the parliamentary party, I want to see more women, I want to see more cultural diversity, I want the best talent to put their hands up for a future government in 2023.”

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Categories
Business

China mocks Scott Morrison, Australia’s ‘arrogance’ after ACCC gas report

China mocks Scott Morrison, Australia's 'arrogance' after ACCC gas report

China has branded Australia “laughable”, mocking the Government and former prime minister Scott Morrison in the wake of a “damning” gas report.

The comments were made as part of a scornful article published by the CCP-controlled Global Times.

The piece mocks a suggestion that Australia could step in and help with supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to European allies impacted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

At the start of 2022, the then-prime minister Mr Morrison said his government was looking at options that would allow Australia to fill international demand for gas if Russia stops exporting to Europe.

“Awkwardly, some in Australia are now warning of a potential shortage in the country and urging to set aside gas for Australia’s own electricity network before selling to the rest of the world,” the Global Times article noted.

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On Monday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) gas inquiry 2017-2025 interim report warned businesses could shut down and there could be a record shortage of gas in the southern states next year unless something is done about the nation’s energy crisis.

The ACCC predicted a 56 petajoule shortfall in east coast gas supply by 2023, a figure it called a “significant risk to energy security” that was equivalent to 10 per cent of expected domestic demand.

China said the situation currently facing Australia was both “laughable and serious”.

“Laughable, because this reflects Australian officials’ overconfidence and arrogance in making empty promises it cannot deliver; serious, because a potential move could significantly affect already disrupted global energy supplies, given that Australia is known as one of the world’s top LNG exporters,” the newspaper noted.

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has seen international demand for LNG soar, with Beijing claiming a decision from Australia to impose export restrictions could “hurt some of its European and Asian allies the most”.

The article blasted Mr Morrison for his “empty promises” for saying Australia will help its allies when they are in need.

“It is clear that a possible reduction in Australia’s LNG exports would further exacerbate the global energy crisis and push up prices, while increasing the energy anxiety in countries that used to see Australia as a reliable source of supplies,” the Global Times said.

“Some of its allies may also be annoyed by Australia’s inability to actually offer help in areas where it apparently has an advantage.”

The article noted that China has recently made efforts to diversify its energy imports following recent tensions with Australia, with Beijing last year signing new LNG contracts with the US instead.

However, the outlet assured readers that any decision by Australia would not “fundamentally undermine” China’s energy security.

Government reacts to ‘damning’ gas report

Australia’s Resources Minister Madeleine King branded the new ACCC report as “damning” of gas exporters after it found they were not engaging locally “in the spirit” of the heads of agreement.

“We remain concerned that some (liquefied) natural gas LNG exporters are not engaging with the domestic market in the spirit in which the heads of agreement was signed,” the report said.

“LNG producers will need to divert a significant proportion of their excess gas into the domestic market.”

Ms King said gas producers “know” the report is “damning for them”.

“The ACCC report is damning, no doubt about it,” she said.

“It sets out patterns and instances of behavior that are clearly not acceptable in an environment where we do have an international and domestic energy supply crisis.”

The ACCC described the outlook for 2023 as “very concerning” with gas prices likely to increase.

“The outlook for 2023 is very concerning and is likely to place further upward pressure on prices, which could result in some commercial and industry users no longer being able to operate,” the report said.

“It could also lead to demand having to be curtailed.”

This shortfall will mainly affect NSW, Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania, where “resources have been diminishing for some time”, though Queensland may also be impacted.

– with NCA NewsWire

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Categories
Sports

Caroline Wilson blasts Richmond coach Damien Hardwick’s apology after local footy outburst

Caroline Wilson blasts Richmond coach Damien Hardwick's apology after local footy outburst

AFL journalist Caroline Wilson has taken aim at Richmond coach Damien Hardwick’s apology after his outburst at a local footy game two weekends ago.

Hardwick was watching the Tigers VFL side dominate Williamstown in a 10.14 (74) to 2.7 (19) thrashing but took umbrage at an on-field incident between the Seagulls’ Darby Henderson and Richmond’s AFL-listed player Rhyan Mansell.

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Hardwick allegedly called Williamstown players “weak f***ing pricks” during the contest at Punt Road Oval but was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Hardwick fronted up and apologized for the incident.

“I understand in my position I’ve got to be better than that,” Hardwick said last Thursday, speaking for the first time about the incident.

“I’ve got to be probably judged to a higher standard, and I understand that. What I will ask is that (people remember) I am human.

“I’m going to make mistakes and there’s no doubt that I overstepped the mark.”

Hardwick added: “I probably didn’t need to lean over the fence and yell but that’s me.

“What makes me good makes me bad.”

He also said he had not been sanctioned by Richmond or the AFL but had received a scalding from his mum Pam.

“It’s funny how you’re still scared of your mother at the age of 49,” he joked.

But the apology got Wilson’s nose out of joint and she took aim on Footy Classified on Monday night.

“Damien Hardwick is not the first AFL coach to behave badly at the footy and then make a half-hearted apology,” she said.

“But that doesn’t excuse the Richmond coach’s disappointing effort five days ago.

“Damien’s abusive tirade issued at Williamstowns’s Darby Henderson did have a touch of Alastair Clarkson about it. And like Clarko and Mick Malthouse and Luke Beveridge also demonstrated a similar unwillingness to take full responsibility.

“’What makes me good makes me bad’, he said, ‘I need to be better’. And again to soften the blow he invoked the spirit of a woman in the family, mother Pam seems to be the new Mrs Hardwick.”

Wilson was referring to Hardwick’s penchant for mentioning his ex-wife “Mrs Hardwick” in press conferences, before the pair split up.

She added: “But Damien, as a national sporting leader, a renowned and championed statesman of the game, we do hold you to a higher standard and you do need to be better.

“No one expects perfection, but on this occasion an unmitigated apology would have been a lot better.”

The comments sparked some discussion on the panel, as Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes defended Hardwick.

“It’s a harsh one. I think you’re being a bit hard on him. What more did you need from his apology for him there? Cornes asked.

Wilson: “’I absolutely did the wrong thing, nobody should abuse players and swear at players at the football. As a premiership coach I, of all people, shouldn’t do that’.”

Corners: “Didn’t he say that? He said ‘I need to be held to a higher account than the other people’.”

Wilson: “’But my mum got mad at me and I’m still scared of my mum’? Who is he? Scott Morrison? Seriously, that was not good enough.”

Corners: “I think you are being a bit harsh. I think that is not a serious offence.”

Wilson: “He is a champion coach, just off the back of a brilliant performance, people need to properly apologise. He has been told he had to apologise, he should have either refused or not apologised.”

Corners: “I took that as a heartfelt apology.”

Another narrative has emerged over the future of the three-time premiership coach. Hardwick has been at the helm of Richmond since 2010 and questions have been asked about whether 13 years is enough.

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd asked if Wilson would “move on from him” if she had the choice.

“I separate Damien Hardwick the coach and some of the other stuff,” Wilson said.

“I think like Alastair (Clarkson), and he also, as we know, he is also a champion coach, he did some terrible things in bad behavior off the field, junior footy game with a Port Adelaide supporter, punching a wall, swearing at journalists and Luke Beveridge as well.

“It’s not good enough. Apologies make the world go round and set examples to young people about how they should behave.”

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