In August 2022, Australians learned that former prime minister Scott Morrison had secretly appointed himself to several ministerial portfolios during his time in office. His successor, Anthony Albanese, described the revelations as “just weird” and “unacceptable”, and the affair became one of the most talked-about political stories of the year.
What did Morrison do?
Australian media reported that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrison had arranged to be sworn in as a joint minister in departments including health, finance and resources, alongside the ministers already responsible for them. It later emerged that he had taken on five portfolios in total, including home affairs and treasury. Several of the ministers involved said they had not been told.
Governor-General David Hurley, the representative of the monarch in Australia, confirmed he had signed the administrative instruments that made the appointments. His office said this was consistent with section 64 of the Australian Constitution, but noted it was not responsible for publicising the appointments.
Reaction
Albanese said he would seek legal advice and described the secrecy as the kind of “tin-pot” behaviour Australians would mock if it happened in an undemocratic country. Legal experts and some of Morrison’s former colleagues also criticised the lack of transparency. Morrison initially stayed quiet, later defending the arrangements as a safeguard during an extraordinary crisis.
Why it mattered
Critics argued that secretly holding multiple ministries undermined the principles of responsible government and Cabinet accountability, because neither the public nor parliament, and in some cases not even the affected ministers, knew who held ministerial power. The revelations came against the background of the pandemic, when Morrison’s government was already facing criticism over lockdowns and the vaccine rollout.
The outcome
An inquiry led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell found that the secrecy was corrosive of trust in government. In November 2022, the House of Representatives passed a motion censuring Morrison, the first time a former prime minister had been censured by parliament. Legislation was later introduced to require ministerial appointments to be made public.
