Australia may launch inquiry into Scott Morrison holding secret cabinet roles

Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has said the government could launch an inquiry into his predecessor Scott Morrison being secretly sworn into key ministries during Covid.

Earlier this week, Mr Albanese accused Mr Morrison of governing “in the shadows” following reports that he appointed himself to the five key ministerial portfolios, including home affairs, treasury, health, finance, and industry, science, energy, and resources, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Australian PM had also said he had sought legal advice from the solicitor general on the legality of Mr Morrison’s actions.

On Sunday, Mr Albanese said the government would receive this advice from the the country’s second highest law officer on Monday.

He also indicated the government would consider an inquiry and reforms to ensure Mr Morrison’s actions are not repeated.

“We’ll examine all of those issues after we receive the Solicitor General’s advice. I am running a proper cabinet government, that has proper processes, and we’ll give full consideration to it,” Mr Albanese told Sky News.

He added that while the solicitor general would advise on legal issues, there also were broader issues “about the functioning of our democracy” that needed to be probed.

On 15 August, governor-general David Hurley, the Queen’s representative in Australia, confirmed that he had allowed Mr Morrison to secretly take the offices by authorising it through an “administrative instrument”.

The action, which represented an unprecedented assumption of powers, has drawn criticism from the Labor government and Morrison’s own party.

In a lengthy statement posted to Mr Morrison’s Facebook page on 16 August, the ex-prime minister defended his actions, saying they were critical to “ensuring the continuity and effective operation of government during this crisis period, which extended for the full period of my term”.

Mr Morrison also said he did not “take over” the ministries after being sworn in by the governor general, and no ministers were interfered with except on one occasion, where he rejected a resources project.

He stepped down as leader of Australia’s Liberal Party after losing a general election in May 2022.

Members of his own cabinet, including finance minister Mathias Cormann, were not informed that Mr Morrison jointly held these offices, according to local reports.

Nationals MP Keith Pitt, who served as resources minister under Mr Morrison, previously told ABC News that though he “made [an] inquiry” about the appointment, he ultimately accepted Mr Morrison’s decision.

He added that the then-prime minister, appointed as a second resources minister last year, used the position to block a controversial petroleum exploration licence in New South Wales.

Mr Albanese reportedly refused to comment on Mr Morrison’s decision to block the license in his Sunday interview with Sky News.

According to ABC News, then-health minister Greg Hunt had agreed to share the portfolio in the event of being incapacitated by Covid-19 infection.

Mr Cormann and Barnaby Joyce, Mr Morrison’s deputy from June 2021, denied having prior knowledge about the…