Judge to probe how former Australia PM gained secret powers

The content of the article

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A retired judge has been appointed to investigate how former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was able to secretly amass unprecedented ministerial powers in defiance of political conventions.

The content of the article

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday that former Supreme Court Justice Virginia Bell will report on November 25 the results of her investigation into Morrison’s covert power grab.

The content of the article

Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministerial positions between March 2020 and May 2021, usually without the knowledge of the original minister.

Albanese, who succeeded Morrison in the May election, cited Solicitor General Stephen Donahue’s legal opinion that while the appointments were legitimate, they undermined the principle of responsible government.

“We need to conduct a quick and appropriate investigation that is not about politics, but about how it happened, why it happened, who knew about it,” Albanese said.

“During the investigation, the government will be advised on any changes that could provide greater transparency and accountability to ensure this never happens again,” Albanese added.

The content of the article

Morrison’s emergency seizure of power is seen as part of a wider trend in Australian politics to concentrate power in the leader’s cabinet at the expense of the British Westminster tradition of delegating duties to ministers.

Donahue wrote in his scathing 29-page legal opinion released this week: “Parliament cannot hold ministers accountable for running departments unless it knows which ministers are in charge of which departments.”

Morrison, who is now an Opposition MP, claims he has handed over the portfolios of health, finance, treasury, resources and home affairs to himself as an emergency measure needed due to the coronavirus crisis.

The content of the article

But his only known use of secret powers had nothing to do with the pandemic. He reversed former Resources Minister Keith Pitt’s decision to approve a controversial gas drilling project off Sydney’s north coast that would have hurt his conservative coalition’s chances of re-election.

Deputy Opposition Leader Susan Ley said Friday that the investigation showed Albanese was more focused on the past than on governance.

“Mr. Albanese’s priorities are all about the past. He’s obsessed and obsessed with the politics of the past, while the Australians need him to focus on their future,” Lay said.

But three of Australia’s surviving former Conservative prime ministers have criticized Morrison’s secret powers. Morrison is the only surviving prime minister from the conservative Liberal Party.

The content of the article

Malcolm Turnbull, who Morrison replaced as prime minister in 2018 as a result of an internal power struggle in government circles, called his successor’s secret briefcases “sinister stuff.”

“This is a secret government. This is one of the worst things I’ve ever heard from our federal government. The idea that the prime minister would be secretly sworn into other ministries is unbelievable,” Turnbull told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation last week.

Former Home Secretary Karen Andrews, who only learned this month that Morrison had shared her portfolio, demanded that he leave Parliament.