Former Australia Leader Defends Secret Appointment as Treasurer
- PM Albanese says his predecessor held five secret ministries
- Morrison says the moves were necessary during pandemic
Scott Morrison, Australia's former prime minister.
Photographer: Brendon Thorne/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday defended his move to secretly take power in five ministries including the Treasury portfolio during the last term of parliament, which has sparked an investigation from his successor.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Morrison said he took the decision during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 because of the risk that ministers could get sick and become incapacitated. He said he picked departments with specific powers that weren’t subject to oversight by the cabinet over the course of two years, which included the Health Department and Home Affairs.