Increasing number of Liberal MPs say it’s time for Scott Morrison to retire after Robodebt royal commission

One Liberal MP was concerned about ‘supporting the unsupportable’ if Labor moves a censure motion against the former PM.

Scott Morrison has defended his actions over robodebt, saying he acted in good faith and on clear departmental advice no legislation was required to establish the scheme. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

Scott Morrison is facing growing calls from his Liberal colleagues to move on from politics if he has no further contribution to make, as the government begins referring public servants named in the sealed section of the Robodebt royal commission report.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten on Monday confirmed the secret chapter would eventually be released and ­received a briefing on the next steps Labor should take to respond to the royal commission’s findings.

Speaking before the advice was given, Mr Shorten insisted he did not know if some bureaucrats were about to lose their job.

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher’s spokesman said department and agency heads had either referred or were referring public servants named in the sealed section to the Australian Public Service Commission.

Former public service commissioner Steve Sedgwick has been appointed independent reviewer and will determine whether any referred public servant has breached the Australian public service code of conduct.

Mr Shorten earlier signalled former Human Services secretary Kathryn Campbell, who now advises the government on the AUKUS project, should reconsider her ­future.

“The commission didn’t miss her, in terms of their analysis,” Mr Shorten told ABC radio when asked how comfortable he was with her keeping her position.

“At this stage I’m not commenting about individuals who may or may not have had adverse findings against them because I don’t want to get in my own way, so to speak, of the process. As a general principle, I think that if you were highly involved in this scheme and you have an adverse finding, I think that becomes difficult for the government.”

Mr Shorten and NSW Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said it wasn’t sustainable to keep secret the report’s sealed section, which names individuals referred for civil and criminal prosecution.

The former opposition leader assumed the chapter would be made public when investigations had been completed or couldn’t be jeopardised by its release.

“This situation where we never are told is not a sustainable position,” Mr Shorten told ABC radio. “But I accept that the commissioner has said that whilst there’s a process of investigation going on, the parts of the report which go ­towards the evidence which may be used against people shouldn’t necessarily be out there in the full public domain until processes have been followed.”

Many of Mr Morrison’s Liberal colleagues on Monday said his political future and the timing of his resignation were a matter for him, but an increasing number were of the view he should bite the bullet and retire.

“He should go. His heart isn’t in it anymore. You’ve got to have fire in the belly, even as a humble backbencher,” one Liberal MP said.

“I think there’s truth to the ­argument he doesn’t want to seem like he’s pushed.”

Another Liberal MP who also wanted to remain anonymous said they were concerned they would be forced to “support the unsupportable” if Labor pursued the former prime minister in parliament and moved a censure motion over his involvement in Robodebt.

“It’s (Robodebt) so bad it’s sickening,” they said.

Asked if it was time for Mr Morrison to leave parliament, Senator Bragg told Sky News: “If people have no further contribution to make then I think they should move on but, ultimately, what Mr Morrison does is a matter for him.”

Nationals leader David Littleproud said if the former prime minister’s heart was no longer in serving his Sydney constituents of Cook, “then it’s probably time for him to move on” and give someone else a go.

A date has not been set for Liberty Party preselections for Cook ahead of the next federal election.

Liberal frontbencher Jason Wood defended Mr Morrison’s right to choose when he left parliament. “It’s up to the former prime minister,” Mr Wood said.

“He didn’t get everything perfect but I think he did a bloody good job when it came to the Covid response and he decides when he wants to go on his terms and his conditions, not the Labor Party’s.”

Royal commissioner Catherine Holmes SC found Mr Morrison, as then social services minister, failed to meet his ministerial responsibility to ensure cabinet was properly informed about what the Robodebt proposal actually entailed and that it was legal.

Mr Morrison, who is on leave overseas, has rejected the findings as “wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary ­evidence presented to the commission”.