Australian PM Albanese: Morrison will be investigated for secretly serving as multiple ministers
[Global Times Special Correspondent Liu Haoran] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on the 15th that Australian Prime Minister Albanese announced that it will investigate former Prime Minister Morrison's secretly serving as multiple ministers.
File photo of former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
According to reports, in the early days of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Morrison secretly served as the "joint minister" of the Ministry of Health and Finance of the country.
In April 2021, Morrison was again appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to directly oversee the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
Albanese used four adjectives to describe Morrison's behavior: "unusual, unprecedented, unacceptable and very bizarre".
Mr Albanese said Morrison's move was tantamount to creating a "shadow government" in Australia.
He will seek legal advice to investigate the legality of Morrison's actions.
On the 15th, a spokesman for Australian Governor Hurley confirmed in a statement that Morrison had indeed been appointed to "a number of positions other than the Prime Minister's office", claiming that the Governor "listed the advice of the government" at the time and followed normal procedures. make an appointment.
The spokesman stressed that the series of appointments are "routine operations" and are in line with the provisions of Chapter 64 of the Australian Constitution.
The ABC said Morrison had had "in-depth conversations" with then-Health Minister Henry Hunt.
He said: "Brother, I can trust you ... but I have to be this minister now." Hunt agreed.
As Minister of Health, he was directly leading the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, which involved a certain degree of occupational risk.
But some analysts believe that Morrison is actually worried that a minister will gain "absolute power" in extraordinary times.
Morrison's move has kept most cabinet officials and MPs in the dark except for Hunt and others.
For example, then-Finance Minister Coleman had no idea that the Prime Minister was also "co-treasurer".
Not only that, Morrison, when he was in charge of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, bypassed then-minister Peter Pitt and directly vetoed an offshore gas project in New South Wales.
The scandal sparked widespread questioning and criticism from the Australian political and academic circles.
Australian National Party leader Littleproud said the prime minister could fire cabinet ministers if they didn't trust them, rather than put them "on the air".
Williamson, a scholar at the University of New South Wales, said Morrison's operation completely lost the transparency of the government, and the "uninformed" of the public was his biggest problem.
At present, Morrison himself declined to comment on the matter.
Morrison, who had pledged to "stay in politics" after losing the election in May, retained his seat in the Cook seat.
According to Sky News of the United Kingdom, Morrison can still enjoy the retirement benefits of the "former prime minister", such as 30 domestic trips a year, government-reimbursed overseas travel, special cars, exclusive drivers and free communication services.
Morrison once claimed in an interview that he has no special plans in the short term, "I look forward to being a good father again - I haven't been with my family for a long time."