Scott Morrison rang Karen Andrews to order statement on boat arrival

Scott Morrison personally ordered Karen Andrews to put out a statement on an asylum seeker boat in a last-ditch effort to sway the election.

Scott Morrison personally ordered former home affairs Minister Karen Andrews to put out a statement on the interception of an asylum seeker boat on election day.

The government was alerted of the Sri Lankan boat’s arrival on the morning of election day and Mr Morrison contacted Ms Andrews to ask her to release a statement and brief the opposition, The Australian reported. 

Ms Andrews, who confirmed on Tuesday she did not know the former prime minister had appointed himself to the home affairs portfolio, supported a generic apolitical from Operation Sovereign Borders and the department.

Scott Morrison ordered Karen Andrews to draft the statement on election day. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

She was reportedly unaware of discussions within the prime minister’s office to send out text messages to the electorate with the news.

In July, a damning report by department secretary Michael Pezzullo found the Morrison government staff pressured border force to pen a statement prior the operation’s completion.

According to the report, Ms Andrews’ office told the commander of Operation Sovereign Borders to draft the statement within 15 minutes using words to the effect of “the Prime Minister wants a statement”.

Mr Pezzullo told the department “under no circumstances” could they to drop the story to selected journalists as was requested by Ms Andrews’ office.

Karen Andrews has called on Mr Morrison to resign. Picture: Gary Ramage

The confirmation Mr Morrison personally intervened to organise the statement, just an hour before a press conference at a voting booth in his electorate, follows the revelation the former prime minister secretly held five additional portfolios during his tenure.

Ms Andrews said the news was “totally unacceptable” and called on him to resign from parliament.

“I am going to ask him to resign and leave parliament,’’ she told News.com.au.

“I have nothing to say to him.

“This is totally unacceptable; for a Prime Minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a federal government constitutionally should stand for.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison rang Karen Andrews to order statement on boat arrival