Scott Morrison labelled a ‘sore loser’ over move to keep national cabinet meetings confidential

Labor, crossbenchers condemn move to keep national cabinet deliberations confidential as attempt to hide PM’s dealings with premiers.

Senator Rex Patrick – who took legal action against the government over the national cabinet’s secrecy – said the move made the Prime Minister look like a “sore loser”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

A push to shield the national cabinet from freedom of information requests has been condemned by Labor and Senate crossbenchers as a “sore loser” attempt to hide Scott Morrison’s dealings with the premiers.

After the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled last month that the gathering of federal and state leaders did not meet the standard for cabinet confidentiality, the government on Thursday moved to shield national cabinet from FOIs.

A bill will be sent off to a Senate inquiry and crossbench senator Rex Patrick – who took legal action against the government over the national cabinet’s secrecy – said the move made the Prime Minister look like a “sore loser”.

“These sorts of secrecy provisions were never required for the former Council of Australian Governments,” Senator Patrick said. “If the Prime Minister’s proposed amendments are accepted by the Senate, and the legislation passes through the parliament, it will not only shroud federal-state relations in an impenetrable cloud of secrecy, it will also radically undermine responsible cabinet government within the federation.”

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Ben Morton said confidentiality was a key underpinning of national cabinet’s ability to make major decisions for the country.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the bill showed the government was “addicted to secrecy”.