Labor to move censure motion against Scott Morrison
The Albanese government will this week move to censure Scott Morrison after the former prime minister secretly swore himself into five additional portfolios during office.
The Albanese government will this week move to censure Scott Morrison after the former prime minister secretly swore himself into five additional portfolios during office.
Anthony Albanese said on Monday that Labor would move the motion following the release of the report compiled by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, which found Mr Morrison had undermined the principles of responsible government.
The Prime Minister confirmed the government would implement legislation to implement all six recommendations from the Bell inquiry, including new laws to require the public notice of the appointment of ministers, while also ensuring the publication of acting ministers.
Mr Albanese commissioned the inquiry in August when it was revealed Mr Morrison had appointed himself as joint minister in the portfolios of health, finance, Treasury, home affairs, and industry, science, energy and resources during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Albanese said Mr Morrison’s actions were “corrosive” of trust in government, and that Australian people expected him to be held to account.
“(The inquiry) found that the actions of the former prime minister fundamentally undermined the principles of responsible government, because the former prime minister wasn’t responsible to the parliament – and through the parliament to the electors – to the departments that he was appointed to administer. And that had real consequences of acting to undermine public confidence in government ” Mr Albanese said.
Manager of opposition business Paul Fletcher said the Coalition would not be supporting the censure motion. And Nationals leader David Littleproud said it was a distraction and a “sideshow”.
“Scott Morrison did the wrong thing … but you know what Australians want? A government that is focused on their cost of living, their energy prices, their food prices, their mortgage repayments,” he said.
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