After his five secret ministry self-appointments were made public, the former Australian leader, Scott Morrison, refused to resign from the federal parliament. During a press conference on Wednesday (August 17), Morrison used a tough tone and declared that he would continue to represent Cook, despite rising demands for him to resign, including from people from his own party.
Morrison defended his choice to conceal the ministries by claiming that he had never used the authority he possessed. The leader then explained why he chose himself for the most powerful position in the government.
Also read | Australian PM Anthony Albanese accuses Morrison of ‘tin-pot activity’ for secretly holding ministry roles
According to PM Anthony Albanese, Morrison allegedly assaulted the Westminster form of governance by secretly assigning himself to five portfolios between 2020 and 2021, including home affairs, treasury, health, finance, and resources, Reuters reported.
A spokeswoman for Governor General David Hurley stated in a statement that Hurley followed the recommendations of the current government and that any concerns about confidentiality should have been handled by the former Morrison administration. Earlier, Morrison was remarked as dictatorial. The former leader disagreed, claiming that the emergency powers were implemented in accordance with the law and by a democratically elected prime minister.
Also read | Australia’s PM says former PM Morrison took on secret ministerial roles during COVID-19
Morrison was appointed minister of home affairs and treasurer in May 2021. He claimed that the budget’s May delivery and discussions with the US and Britain on the AUKUS nuclear submarine sale were partially to blame.
On Monday, Albanese will receive guidance on the subject from the attorney general. The leader on Wednesday declared that “This is fundamentally a trashing of our democratic system,” Reuters reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
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