Scott Morrison ‘turns other cheek’ after censure motion
Scott Morrison issues a lengthy and wide-ranging defence after being punished in the parliament for secretly swearing himself into five portfolios during the pandemic.
Scott Morrison has vowed to “turn the other cheek” after being punished in the parliament for secretly swearing himself into five portfolios during the pandemic.
The former prime minister was censured in the lower house after the motion passed with 86 votes to 50, with one Liberal colleague, Bridget Archer, voting alongside teal MPs and the Greens with the government.
Anthony Albanese criticised Mr Morrison for undermining the nation’s democratic system and said the parliament had a responsibility to condemn his actions and ensure democracy was not “taken for granted”.
“This was an abuse of power and a trashing of our democracy,” the Prime Minister said. “It was a slippery slope that undermined the functioning of this parliament, that undermined our democratic institutions, that this house has a responsibility to act on.”
He said he had been initially hesitant to speak on the motion but was compelled to after listening to Mr Morrison’s defence.
“I came here not certain as to whether I would speak. But I have to respond to the [former] prime minister’s comments, who has confirmed again that he just doesn’t get it,” Mr Albanese said.
Leader of the House Tony Burke moved the motion following the release of a report compiled by former High Court judge Virginia Bell that found Mr Morrison had “undermined the principles of responsible government”.
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.
Censure motions are conventionally used against sitting ministers if there is dissatisfaction with their performance, and are purely symbolic.
In a lengthy and wide-ranging defence, Mr Morrison attacked Labor for pursuing the “politics of retribution” and called on the government to focus on economic challenges facing Australians.
He conceded he should have told Mathias Cormann he had himself sworn into the finance portfolio during the pandemic, and his assumption of Treasury and home affairs responsibilities was unnecessary in hindsight.
Mr Morrison emphasised that he never misused powers he had amassed, and did not rescind his decision to intervene in the resources portfolio to stop an offshore NSW gas project.
“I have no intention of submitting to the political intimidation of this government using its numbers in this place to impose its retribution on a political opponent,” he said. “These are the behaviours of an opposition, Mr Speaker, not a government, who understands that grace in victory is a virtue.
“How we respond to these events … is up to each of us. For mine, I will take the instruction of my faith and turn the other cheek.”
Mr Albanese said the former prime minister had shown no remorse for his actions, arguing he had expected a “semblance of contrition” from Mr Morrison but instead he had shown hubris, arrogance and denial.
“I thought, this morning, we would see some contrition … we got none of that,” the Prime Minister said.
“We got hubris and we got arrogance and we got denial.
“The former prime minister owes an apology, not to people who he shared breakfast with at The Lodge, he owes an apology to the Australian people for the undermining of democracy and that is why this motion should be supported by every member of this house.”
Manager of Opposition Business Paul Fletcher said Labor wasted taxpayer funds on a three-hour “vindictive political stunt”.
Independent MP Dai Le abstained from the vote amid concern the motion was politically motivated and had no tangible impact for Australians struggling with cost-of-living problems, as she labelled the censure “petty politics” and “virtue signalling”.
Ms Archer said Mr Morrison’s actions were an affront to Australia’s democracy and she was “deeply disappointed for the lack of apology … (and) understanding of the impact of the decisions”.
Liberal MP Karen Andrews abstained from the vote after Mr Morrison assumed responsibility for the home affairs portfolio that she held without her knowledge.
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