Scott Morrison’s secret ministries scandal: Anthony Albanese accepts all Bell report recommendations

Anthony Albanese will recommend at the next cabinet meeting the government accept all six recommendations from the report by former High Court justice Virginia Bell.

Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese will move legislation to require the appointment of a minister be made public after Scott Morrison was eviscerated by an inquiry into the secret ministries scandal.

The Prime Minister will recommend at the next cabinet meeting the government accept all six recommendations from the report compiled by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, in which Kevin Rudd was described as the only other prime minister to be ­“appointed to administer another department”.

Included in the recommendations are that there be new laws to require the public notice of the ­appointment of ministers, while there should also be publication of acting ministers.

The report, released on Friday afternoon, also recommended the publication of an outline of divisions of responsibilities of ministers who oversee the same department.

Mr Albanese commissioned the inquiry in August when it was revealed Mr Morrison had been appointed as joint minister in the portfolios of health, finance, Treasury, home affairs, and industry, science, energy and resources during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The inquiry found Mr Morrison’s self-appointment to additional ministries was unnecessary and “undermined public confidence in government”.

The Bell report said Mr Morrison did not need to appoint himself as minister of health and finance in the height of the pandemic in 2020 in case the then ministers became incapacitated.

“Mr Morrison could have been authorised to act as minister for health or minister for finance in a matter of minutes,” it said.

 

The report was more scathing of Mr Morrison becoming joint minister for the other portfolios.

“These appointments had little if any connection to the pandemic. Rather, Mr Morrison was appointed to administer these departments to give himself the capacity to exercise particular statutory powers,” it said.

Mr Albanese said his predecessor misled the parliament “every single day” after he began appointing himself as the joint minister of additional portfolios, with a parliamentary censure motion to be considered.

“The actions of the former prime minister were extraordinary. They were unprecedented, and they were wrong,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Morrison, who was accused by Mr Albanese of not participating in the inquiry, said he assisted with “six separate and comprehensive responses to matters raised with me and my legal representatives”.

“At all times as prime minister I sought to exercise my responsibilities in a manner that would best advance and protect Australia’s national interests and the welfare of the Australian people,” Mr Morrison said.

“These decisions were taken during an

extremely challenging period, where 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.”

While Mr Morrison was savaged in the report, Justice Bell wrote there was “one other ­occasion in which a prime minister has been appointed to administer another department”.

“The Hon Kevin Rudd MP was appointed to administer the ­Department of Climate Change as well as PM&C,” she wrote.

“While the public was on notice that the Department of Climate Change was within the portfolio of the prime minister and cabinet there was no notification in the ­gazette of the fact of Mr Rudd’s ­appointment to administer the Department of Climate Change (in conformity with the then current style of notification of ministerial appointments). It is not apparent that it was the intention to keep the appointment secret.”

A spokesman for Dr Rudd said the Department of Climate Change was within the prime minister’s department when he was administering the portfolio. “On 29 November 2007, Dr Rudd as prime minister-elect announced to media in Canberra that he would appoint Penny Wong as minister for climate change and water, to be ‘served by a Department of Climate Change, which will be located within the wider prime minister’s portfolio’,” the spokesman said.

“An administrative arrangements order confirming the ­Department of Climate Change’s status within the prime minister’s portfolio was issued on 3 December 2007 and was publicly ­gazetted. A document establishing the Department of Climate Change’s status within the prime minister’s portfolio was tabled in parliament by Dr Rudd at the opening of parliament on 12 February 2008. These arrangements were made on official advice and not at the initiative of Dr Rudd.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at his Canberra press conference on Friday afternoon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman