Tony Abbott weighs in on Scott Morrison secret minister scandal as Andrew Bolt calls for resignation

Former PM Tony Abbott has weighed in on Scott Morrison’s decision to secretly appoint himself minister of five portolios amid calls for his resignation.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial power grab as “unusual”, “strange” and “unorthodox”.

Speaking in London on Tuesday night, Mr Abbott defended Governor-General David Hurley’s decision to agree to his secret requests to take control of five different portfolios, moves that were never shared with the public, or in most cases with the existing ministers.

“The pandemic was a completely unprecedented situation and a whole lot of things that normally would never have been done were done and, without knowing a lot more than I have currently read in the papers, I would be reluctant to condemn what seems to have happened,” Mr Abbott said.

“Certainly it does seem unusual, it does seem unorthodox and it does seem strange that at least some of the ministers didn’t know about it.

“As for the Governor-General, I have every confidence that he would have acted not just on the basis of the political advice of the prime minister, but that he would have got legal advice that what was happening was appropriate, legally appropriate, whatever of you might think of the politics of it.”

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has weighed in on Scott Morrison’s decision to secretly appoint himself a minister of five portolios while in the top job

Former Prime Minister John Howard earlier said there was no evidence to date the move was illegal.

“I understand why it’s been criticised, but it’s not some kind of constitutional crisis. And I think these calls for a sort of semi royal commission and so forth into what happened are a bit over the top,’’ he said.

“I think what happened was unwise. Was it illegal? No, I haven’t seen anything illegal.”

While Howard and Abbott have moved to play down the scandal, Sky News host Andrew Bolt bluntly urged Scott Morrison to “quit Parliament now, just go!” over the secret ministry furore.

The conservative commentator unleashed on his nightly program, accusing the former Prime Minister of having “embarrassed, even devastated his party in a scandal that today got even more bizarre”.

Former PM John Howard earlier spoke out on the issue, saying there was no illegality in the move and suggesting calls for major inquiries were “a bit over the top”

Mr Bolt said the unfolding scandal almost required “clown show music” but was no joke as he urged the former Prime Minister to get out of politics.

“I mean, he‘s finished. Quit Parliament now. Just go!” Mr Bolt said.

“Every Liberal should be ashamed that it takes a Labor Prime Minister of the socialist left to warn them against letting a prime minister centralise power in himself.”

News.com.au revealed on Sunday that Mr Morrison had secretly appointed himself to the resources portfolio, angering the then minister Keith Pitt.

A new book Plagued revealed over the weekend that he also appointed himself to the health and finance portfolios.

Health Minister Greg Hunt knew, but it subsequently emerged after he read the book extracts that Finance Minister Mathias Cormann did not.

The revelations have prompted fury in the Coalition after it emerged today the former Prime Minister also secretly appointed himself to the Treasury without the knowledge of Josh Frydenberg.

Former Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has called for Mr Morrison to resign as an MP.

“I am going to ask him to resign and leave Parliament,” she said.

“I have nothing to say to him.

“This is totally unacceptable, For a Prime Minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a federal government constitutionally should stand for.”

Sky News host Andrew Bolt has bluntly urged Scott Morrison to ‘quit Parliament now, just go!’ over the secret ministry furore.

The conservative commentator unleashed on his nightly program accusing the former Prime Minister of having ‘embarrassed, even devastated his party in a scandal that today got even more bizarre’.

Mr Bolt noted that Mr Morrison went on Sydney radio to defend “his crazy decision”.

“He was asked on 2GB today, ”Was that all? Are there any other portfolios that you assumed any control over?’” Mr Bolt said.

Mr Morrison said “not to his recollection”.

“What a shocking memory, it turns out that Morrison has somehow forgotten been secretly sworn in by the Governor General as Minister of not one more ministry, but two,‘’ he said.

But he warned the Liberal leader Peter Dutton had made a “big mistake” by not going harder in his criticism.

“And this is the second tragedy for the Liberals really. He said he didn‘t know that Morrison had been appointed himself the secret Minister of almost everything,’’ Bolt said.

“But today he defended him. And I think this was a big mistake.

“I don‘t get why. Peter Dutton didn’t take this chance to draw a line between him and Morrison.

“He didn‘t do it. And what made it even more embarrassing for Peter Dutton today was that just after sticking up for Morrison’s crazy grab for power, Morrison himself admitted he was wrong.

“The Liberals are supposed to be the party of freedom now. Under Scott Morrison, it looks like they were the party just hungry for power.”

Originally published as Tony Abbott weighs in on Scott Morrison secret minister scandal as Andrew Bolt calls for resignation