Motion of no confidence voted against ex-Prime Minister Scott Morrison
It is the first time in Australian history that a former prime minister has been formally reprimanded by the House of Representatives.
Scott Morrison, at a press conference in Sydney, August 17, 2022.
AFP
Australia’s parliament passed a no-confidence motion on Wednesday against ex-prime minister Scott Morrison for secretly appointing himself to several ministerial portfolios during the Covid-19 pandemic, issuing a rare and scathing rebuke.
By a vote of 86 to 50, Parliament said the former Conservative leader’s actions had “eroded public confidence in Australian democracy” and made real accountability impossible. It is the first time in Australian history that a former prime minister has been formally reprimanded by the House of Representatives.
“He owes an apology”
For two years, Scott Morrison had self-nominated as Minister of Finance, Home Affairs, Treasury, Minerals, Agriculture and the Environment, without saying so publicly and without informing the ministers in place.
“He owes the people of Australia an apology for undermining democracy,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose centre-left party ousted Scott Morrison in the May 2022 election. The former prime minister was present in the hemicycle for most of the debate and listened, impassive, to the denunciations of which he was the subject.
When he spoke it was to vigorously defend his actions and accuse the Labor government of partisanship, “political intimidation” and trying to “impose its punishment”. Scott Morrison expressed some doubts about the confidentiality of his nominations and said he would have spoken to the public about them if asked by reporters.
Actions deemed legal
“I acknowledge that the non-disclosure of the arrangements caused unintended offense and I apologize to those who were offended,” he said. But “I make no apologies for taking action, especially careful layoffs, in a national crisis to save lives and livelihoods.”
A recent inquiry, led by a former judge of the High Court of Australia, finds that these acts have been “harmful to trust in the government” and recommends closing several legal loopholes allowing the appointments to remain secret.
Despite the outrage they may have caused, Scott Morrison’s actions were ultimately deemed legal. The ex-prime minister has refused calls for the resignation of parliament. For his part, Anthony Albanese indicated that Parliament would try to modify the law to ensure that ministerial appointments are made public.
AFP
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