Aus 23,2022:Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an independent inquiry into his predecessor Scott Morrison’s secret appointment to multiple ministries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Albanese announced the move on Tuesday after Solicitor General Stephen Donaghue concluded that while Morrison’s appointments were legal, they “fundamentally undermined” responsible government.
“Our democracy is precious,” Albanese wrote on Twitter. “Australians deserve to know who is responsible for making decisions on their behalf.”
Morrison, who stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party after losing a general election in May, has faced a barrage of criticism from the Labor government and his own party, after it was revealed he was secretly sworn in to ministries without telling parliament or his cabinet, an unprecedented assumption of power.
In the written advice, the solicitor general was critical that the public and Parliament were not informed of Morrison’s appointment to the ministries.
This was “inconsistent with the conventions and practices that form an essential part of the system of responsible government prescribed by the … Constitution,” the advice said.
