Findings from inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret ministries released

The findings of a long-awaited report into the scandal surrounding Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial jobs have been revealed.

A defiant Scott Morrison has said the inquiry into his secret ministries would have had “limited ability” to draw conclusions, given it didn’t have his level of “awareness of issues” regarding the national interest.

The former prime minister responded to the findings of ex-High Court Justice Virginia Bell’s three-month inquiry into his hidden additional ministries in a 541-word Facebook post on Friday afternoon.

Mr Morrison secretly appointed himself joint minister in the health, finance, treasury, home affairs, and industry, science, energy and resources portfolios over a period of two years during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Bell’s report, released on Friday, found Mr Morrison’s self-appointments were ultimately unnecessary and their secret nature was “corrosive of trust” in government.

Mr Morrison said he welcomed the six recommendations made by Ms Bell in her report, which include creating new laws to require the public notice of the appointment of ministers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said his predecessor’s secret self-appointments to additional ministries was ‘extraordinary and wrong’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

However, he again insisted his decisions were made in the best interests of Australians.

“As prime minister, my awareness of issues regarding national security and the national interest was broader than that known to individual ministers and certainly to the inquiry,” he wrote.

“This limits the ability for third parties to draw definitive conclusions on such matters.”

He said he took on the additional ministries during an “extremely challenging period” in which there was “a need for considerable urgency”.

“I note that the criticisms of my decisions have been made after the event and with the benefit of this perspective,” he wrote.

Mr Morrison participated in the inquiry through his lawyers, writing that “this engagement was done via correspondence as was the practice with other respondents”.

He said he had “addressed issues privately” with ministerial colleagues when it first emerged in August he had assumed the additional portfolios.

“I am pleased that this matter has now concluded and I can continue, as I have since the last election, to serve the people of Cook as their federal member of parliament,” he said.

Many of Mr Morrison’s former cabinet members were blindsided by his ministerial appointments.

It was revealed this week that former treasurer Josh Frydenberg only found out that Mr Morrison had appointed himself as joint treasurer when the story broke in the media.

Mr Frydenberg was aware Mr Morrison had taken on the health portfolio at the start of the pandemic in 2020, but he didn’t know the then-prime minister had appointed himself to four additional ministries – including his own – over the next 14 months.

Mr Frydenberg, speaking to author Niki Savva for her new book, an excerpt of which was published in the Nine newspapers, said Mr Morrison’s decision was “extreme overreach” and “profoundly disappointing”.

Mr Frydenberg said Mr Morrison eventually conceded he probably wouldn’t take on the treasury portfolio if he had his time over, but he didn’t apologise to his former deputy for having done so.

In her report, Ms Bell refuted Mr Morrison’s previous assertions that he gave himself the extra ministerial powers in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Morrison’s self-appointments to the health and finance portfolios in 2020 were “unnecessary” and his self-appointments to the treasury, home affairs and industry, science, energy and resources portfolios in 2021 had “little if any connection to the pandemic”, the report said.

Ms Bell found Mr Morrison’s appointments had few implications but his secrecy meant parliament was unable to hold him to account in his capacity as a minister administering the five additional departments.

Ms Bell confirmed Mr Morrison only used his secret powers in one instance, which was to overrule then-resources minister Keith Pitt to block the controversial PEP-11 petroleum exploration licence off the coast of NSW.

Anthony Albanese asked Ms Bell to conduct the investigation after an earlier report by the solicitor-general found Mr Morrison didn’t break the law but his secrecy fundamentally undermined the principles of a responsible government.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the report was made public on Friday, the Prime Minister said his predecessor misled the parliament and that his actions were “extraordinary, unprecedented and wrong”.

Mr Albanese said he would recommend at the next meeting of cabinet that the government implement all six recommendations made in what he said was a “scathing” report.

He said the quick implementation of the report’s recommendations would ensure “the Australian public can have full confidence that this breach of trust will never happen again”.

Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five additional ministerial portfolios during the pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Bell’s report also revealed Mr Morrison had been eyeing a sixth additional portfolio.

According to the report, Mr Morrison’s office instructed the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to prepare a brief for his appointment to administer the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment before he decided not to precede with the appointment.

Mr Morrison wanted authority over the portfolio so he could administer the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the report said.

Mr Albanese said former PM&C secretary Phil Gaetjens had questions to answer after the report revealed he supported Mr Morrison’s appointments to the health and finance portfolios in 2020.

The report said it was troubling that by the time of the 2021 appointments, Mr Gaetjens did not take up the “issue” of the secrecy surrounding them with Mr Morrison and “firmly argue for their disclosure”.

However, the responsibility for that secrecy must reside with Mr Morrison, the report said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would recommend to cabinet that the government implement every recommendation made in the report. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese said the report cleared Governor-General David Hurley of any wrongdoing for facilitating Mr Morrison’s appointments because he had been acting on the advice of the government of the day.

Former finance minister Simon Birmingham said Mr Morrison’s decisions amounted to overreach, particularly his later moves to take control of the treasury, home affairs and industry portfolios.

Senator Birmingham said the opposition would support the recommendations made in the Bell report including any resulting legislation.

“We will support transparency measures, we will support legislation, and the government should act swiftly on any recommendations there,” he said.

Mr Morrison’s Facebook post responding to the Bell review attracted a mix of responses from supporters and disappointed Australians on Friday afternoon.

One person wrote: “It was a power grab, pure and simple. Thank goodness the Australian people saw you for what you are”.

Another said Mr Morrison should apologise, writing: “Still not able to take responsibility for your actions aye Scott. Still unable to apologise to the Australian public. It was a pleasure to see you voted out on May 21!”

One supporter saw things differently, writing: “You have my support Scott. I think we’ve all forgotten very quickly how dire things were (and felt) at the time.”

Another person wrote: “We miss you Scott Morrison (ScoMo). Our best prime minister since John Howard.”

Originally published as Findings from inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret ministries released