November 6, 2024

Labor to move official censure of Scott Morrison in parliament over secret ministries scandal

Labor #Labor

The federal Labor government will move to censure Scott Morrison over his multiple secret ministries scandal, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, saying the push to reprimand his predecessor was important for the accountability of Australia’s democratic system.

Albanese’s cabinet has endorsed all the recommendations of Virginia Bell’s inquiry and will this week introduce legislation to formalise the publication of ministerial arrangements.

“The house will be moving a censure motion in the member for Cook as a result of the findings of Virginia Bell and the inquiry, which found that the actions of the former prime minister fundamentally undermined the principles of responsible government,” Albanese told a press conference on Monday.

“Because the former prime minister wasn’t responsible to the parliament, and through the parliament to the electors, to the departments that he was appointed to administer.”

The government charged Bell, the former high court justice, to investigate the arrangements around Morrison’s secret appointments to administer the departments of health, industry, treasury, home affairs and finance in 2020 and 2021. It received Bell’s report on Friday, and her recommendations were considered by cabinet today.

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Albanese said either attorney-general Mark Dreyfus or leader of the house Tony Burke would move the motion this week. The exact wording of the formal censure motion has not been detailed.

Coalition MP Paul Fletcher indicated on Monday his party would not support the motion.

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