Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused predecessor Scott Morrison Tuesday of “an extraordinary and unprecedented trashing of our democracy” after it emerged the former leader secretly took on five ministerial roles.
Why it matters: Albanese said he’s seeking legal advice as Morrison faces calls to resign as a Member of Parliament after News Corp Australia reported that Morrison “secretly swore himself in” as joint minister for the treasury, finance, health, home affairs and resources over a period from March 2020 to May 2021.
What they’re saying: Morrison “deliberately undermined the checks and balances that are so important and essential for our democracy,” Albanese said at a news conference.
- “This has been government by deception,” the Labor leader said.
- Karen Andrews, who was home affairs minister in Morrison’s Liberal-National coalition government, led calls from lawmakers for the former prime minister to resign.
- “I think the actions that he undertook in swearing himself into numerous portfolios and not disclosing those to the minister’s responsible means that he needs to resign and he needs to leave Parliament,” she told Sky News Australia.
The other side: Morrison said in a Facebook post Tuesday that he “acted in good faith in a crisis” and there “was a lot going on at the time” due to the pandemic.
- In “hindsight, these arrangements were unnecessary, and until seeking advice from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet today, I had not recollected these arrangements having been put in place,” said Morrison, apologizing to colleagues for any offense caused.
What we’re watching: Albanese said he’s seeking legal advice from Australia’s solicitor general on the matter.
Source:axios.com