Anthony Albanese’s inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret appointments a ‘witch hunt’, Peter Dutton warns

Anthony Albanese is warned against using the inquiry into the former PM secret appointments to ‘trash reputations’, as Peter Dutton labels it a ‘witch hunt’.

The Prime Minister announced earlier this week an eminent legal expert would be appointed to ‘consider all of the implications’ of Scott Morrison’s secret ministries.

Peter Dutton has lambasted Anthony Albanese’s inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial appointments, declaring it a “witch hunt” amid warnings the review should not seek to “trash” anyone’s reputation.

Federal cabinet is set to sign off on who will run the inquiry and its scope within days, after the Prime Minister announced earlier this week an eminent legal expert would be appointed to “consider all of the implications” of Mr Morrison’s secret ministries.

Mr Albanese said on Thursday the government wanted to make sure it got the inquiry “right” and Australians had “waited a long time for this information to come out”.

“What we haven’t found out is any reasonable explanation for how this came about, who knew about it at the time, how it occurred, why it was kept secret,” he said.

Senior government minister Tanya Plibersek said it was not time to “move on” because it was still unclear how Mr Morrison’s appointments to five portfolios – health, finance, treasury, home affairs and resources – over two years affected his colleagues and the public service.

“What does it mean for the departments that he was administering in secret, the other ministers who didn’t know that he was shadowing them in their jobs?” she told Sky News.

“This is really critical for our democracy.”

Senior government minister Tanya Plibersek says it isn’t time to ‘move on’ because it is still unclear how Morrison’s appointments affect his colleagues. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The Opposition Leader said it was time for Mr Albanese to “stop this witch hunt”, cautioning the investigation into Mr Morrison had “clearly now turned political”.

“When the Prime Minister refuses to include the premiers, including Premier (Dan) Andrews for example, in an inquiry to work out what happened during the Covid period and the reason for different decisions and he says ‘no, no, no, we’re not interested in looking at the Labor premiers, we only want to look at a former Liberal prime minister’, I think the penny starts to drop for Australians,” Mr Dutton told 2GB radio.

“Actually, for the Prime Minister now he’s over playing his hand and this has become more politicised and it’s morphing into a witch hunt rather than pointing out a problem that needed to be solved.

“There’s a solution to the problem, which we’ve said we will support, and let’s get on with it instead of playing the games.”

Former finance minister Simon Birmingham did not believe the to-be-announced inquiry was a witch hunt “at this stage” and urged the government to “get on” with designing legislation that required the publication of all ministerial appointments to administer departments.

“I would hope that any further review does … look to see if there are further lessons to be learnt for the future and further reforms that should be considered, not necessarily go and seek to trash anybody’s reputation, be that in the public service, a former political staffer or anybody else,” Senator Birmingham told ABC radio.

“Logically, if they’re (the government) having one, then it should look at the role of others in terms of advice or the like.”

Former finance minister Simon Birmingham did not believe the to-be-announced inquiry was a witch hunt ‘at this stage’ and urged the government to ‘get on’ with designing legislation Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Mr Morrison has admitted some of his former staffers and officials in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet knew about his secret ministerial appointments, which were signed off on by Governor-General David Hurley at the then prime minister’s request.

Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews, who has been the only Coalition MP to call for Mr Morrison’s resignation, was unconvinced by the need for an inquiry and said the government was at risk of losing the Australian people.

“I would’ve thought that there was sufficient information already available for us to all move to the next point, which is to make sure that this never ever happens again,” Ms Andrews told Sky News.

“I’ve never been in favour of endless inquiries. I’ve always been in favour of making sure that we get an outcome.”