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Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday cited his achievements in government, including the fight against “bullying” China, as he fought unsuccessfully against being accused by parliament of secretly accumulating multiple ministerial powers.
The centre-left Labor government has introduced a rare motion of censure in the House of Representatives against Morrison, who took the unprecedented step as a Conservative prime minister to appoint himself five-time minister between March 2020 and May 2021. ministerial position, often without the knowledge of the current minister.
The House of Representatives approved the motion by a vote of 86 to 50. It is certain to pass because Labor has a majority in the House of Representatives and most opposition lawmakers see it as “political revenge”. Morrison is the first former prime minister to be condemned.
The censure motion against Mr Morrison, who is still an opposition MP, will do nothing but tarnish his legacy.
Morrison commented publicly on the controversy on Wednesday – his first comment on his response to the COVID-19 pandemic in government since August, when he first exposed his power grab in interviews with two reporters. Ill react to comments. He has since released two written statements through his lawyers.
Morrison said he had given himself additional ministerial powers as Australia “grapples with extreme uncertainty and unpredictability”.
He said the criticisms were “out of security and relative calm in hindsight”.
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Morrison said in the House of Commons: “I am proud … that in a time of extreme testing, my government has stood up to the depths of uncertainty in our national investigations and intimidated by regional bullies, and has seen Australia through Difficulties,” he said, referring to China.
“Our nation faces the greatest challenges we have experienced since World War II: drought, natural disasters, a global pandemic, global and domestic recession, the causes of the pandemic, and the rise and assertiveness of an attempt to force Australia to its knees China,” Morrison added.
The motion of censure says Mr Morrison has undermined responsible government and undermined public trust in Australian democracy by failing to inform his cabinet, parliament and the Australian people of his additional ministerial powers.
The government, elected in May, cited the findings of an inquiry into Morrison’s extraordinary power grab.
Retired Superior Court Justice Virginia Bell recommended in her inquiry last week that laws be enacted requiring the publication of ministerial appointments and the delineation of ministerial responsibilities. The government submitted such laws to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Morrison said he welcomed Bell’s suggestion, saying his office had never issued a directive prohibiting disclosure of his additional ministerial powers.
Morrison has given himself a portfolio of health, finance, treasury, home affairs and resources. But he has only exercised those powers once, when he overturned former resources minister Keith Pitt’s decision to approve a controversial gas drilling project off Sydney’s north coast that could damage their government’s re-election Chance.
Asset Energy, the company behind the project, is opposing Morrison’s decision in federal court to block development of the 4,576 square kilometers (1,767 square miles) offshore basin PEP-11.
Assets accused Morrison of bias and failure to provide procedural fairness when he blocked the project in March.
Morrison said he copied Pitt’s authority to overturn that specific decision.
“I made the right decision about PEP-11,” Morrison said.
Sydney independent Sophie Scamps, who opposes PEP-11 and backs the condemnation motion ahead of May’s general election, described Morrison’s power grab as “deeply worrying about authoritarian tendencies”.
Independent Kate Chaney, who also backed the condemnation motion, said Australia under Morrison had been “testing the dictatorship waters”.
Morrison said he believed his office had told former treasurer Simon Birmingham that the prime minister had also taken over the treasury. Birmingham was not told.
“I acknowledge the unintentional offense caused by the non-disclosure arrangement and apologize to those offended,” Morrison said.
He added: “I make no apology for acting in a national crisis, especially deliberate reductions in (ministerial powers) to save lives and livelihoods.”
One of the greatest achievements of Morrison’s tenure in office from August 2018 to May this year will be standing up to China.
“We stand up against an overbearing Chinese regime that seeks to coerce and impose our democracy through threats, sanctions and intimidation,” Morrison said.
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