Albanese Seeks Legal Action Amid Reports Morrison Secretly Swore Himself Into Ministry Positions

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking legal advice following reports that his predecessor, Scott Morrison secretly swore himself into three ministry roles while in government.

The reports claim that some senior cabinet colleagues were unaware of Morrison’s titles.

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The Australian reported Morrison swore himself in as health and finance minister at the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic – partly to safeguard other ministers who contracted Covid.

While last night, news.com.au reported Morrison was also sworn in as resources minister, overlooking the entire Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio.

The two news outlets reported that Morrison gained legal advice from then attorney general Christian Porter that two minister could be sworn into the same position, and that he could swear himself via an administrative legal instrument.

Morrison’s deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce described the alleged secretive arrangements as “very bad practice”, allegedly made without the input of the governor general.

Joyce appeared on Sunrise this morning and said he disagreed with the alleged actions, and only found out about it when Morrison swore himself in as resources minister.

“I found out about it, and I disagree with it. I believe in a cabinet system of government where ministers are responsible for their own portfolio. We don’t have a presidential form of government,” he said.

“Prime ministers, of course, every ministerial appointment is an appointment by their right … But I think it’s very bad practice when a prime minister or any other senior minister starts having ultimate say over another person’s portfolio.”

Labor minister Bill Shorten questioned if Morrison had a “messianic complex”.

Immigration minister Andrew Giles spoke in Radio National this morning, calling the reports “absolutely extraordinary and quite shocking”.

“It’s entirely unclear to me as to how this could have happened … how could it be that a prime minister could have done something like this in the first instance, then not told anyone about it,” he said.

“What we’ve heard is a repudiation of the cabinet model of government we’ve had in Australia for well over 100 years.

“Its consequences, frankly, I’m not sure about. That’s why it’s so important we get this advice.”

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