Lambie calls on Morrison to face media following ‘extremely worrying’ reports he secretly swore himself into ministerial roles

Jacqui Lambie has called for Scott Morrison to front the media and answer questions following reports he secretly swore himself into ministerial roles during the pandemic. 

A new book by The Australian’s Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers, Plagued, has documented the moves Mr Morrison made to sign himself in as health and finance minister in March 2020.

But the claims don’t stop there, with explosive reports from news.com.au revealing Mr Morrison also swore himself in as an additional resources minister in December 2021 before thwarting a controversial plan to drill for gas off the NSW coast.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie hit out at the “extremely worrying” bombshell revelations on Monday and called for the ex-PM to face the media.

“I’d like him to face the media today and answer some questions, it’s extremely worrying if that’s what he was doing…he needs to explain himself,” Senator Lambie told Sky News Australia.

“What’s he saying he’s got no talent in the Liberal National Party to pick from he has to take all the portfolios over?”

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on Monday told ABC Radio Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was seeking legal advice on the legality of the situation.

Ms Lambie welcomed an investigation saying Mr Morrison owed answers to both the public and the Coalition. 

“He needs to front the media and explain himself and he needs to do it now,” Ms Lambie said. 

“Why all the secrecy around it? If he thought he was the best person for the job why wasn’t he out there in the open actually telling people what he was doing.

“Not just the public, but his own people, his own party.”

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce confirmed that then-resources minister Keith Pitt was shocked to learn Mr Morrison had secretly sworn himself in as additional minister in his own portfolio. 

Mr Morrison had then used his power to thwart a multimillion dollar gas drilling project in Newcastle, NSW, around the same time blue-ribbon seats were under threat from Climate 200-backed teal independents.

“I don’t believe in a presidential form of government,” Mr Joyce told news.com.au.

“If you don’t like cabinet ministers, there’s a simple solution: you sack them.”

In further revelations reported by The Australian, Mr Morrison also secretly swore himself in as health minister when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

According to a new book, the former prime minister wanted to ensure he could still execute emergency health powers if then-health minister Greg Hunt were to become incapacitated by COVID-19.

The book also revealed Mr Morrison had also sworn himself in as joint finance minister with Mathias Cormann. 

Sky News Australia’s Political Reporter Andrew Clennell revealed on Monday it had taken place without Mr Cormann’s knowledge. 

“[Morrison] did not tell his own finance minister he was taking this action,” Mr Clennell said. 

“As for the legality of this the PM has real concerns that this really breaches the Westminster system in terms of openness and transparency and I’m informed that he’s taking this development rather seriously.

Clennell said it was unlikely action would be taken against Mr Morrison but changes could be made to prevent it from happening again.    

“What’s been reported in this book [Plagued]… is that Christian Porter the attorney general used an administrative instrument rather than have the swearing through the governor general,” he said.

“And what’s extraordinary about this is that you look at it at face value and you sort of say ‘well he’s the prime minister can’t they overrule their ministers’ – not in certain circumstances.

“Immigration for example, that is the immigration ministers decision on various cases in the act. 

“To use the cover of the pandemic is one thing…but the resource minister a year later? Well it doesn’t pass the pub test.”