Scott Morrison secretly appointed to five ministries, including treasury and home affairs, says PM

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says Scott Morrison was appointed to five additional ministries, including treasury and home affairs, labelling his predecessor’s actions an “unprecedented trashing of our democracy”.

In an explosive revelation following investigations from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, which has already led to one former Coalition minister calling on Morrison to resign, Albanese said the former Liberal leader may have held those positions until the Coalition’s election loss in May.

It came just hours after Morrison himself claimed he didn’t recall being sworn into any other ministry beyond health, finance and resources.

“It is completely extraordinary that these appointments were kept secret by the Morrison government,” Albanese said at a press conference in Canberra, after briefings from his department.

“It’s undermined our democracy. It’s an attack on the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy as we know it.”

Albanese said in addition to his appointment as the head of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Morrison was appointed to administer the Department of Health on 14 March 2020, and the Department of Finance on 30 March 2020.

On 15 April 2021, Albanese said Morrison was appointed to administer the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resource; then on 6 May 2021, Morrison was appointed to run both the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Treasury.

“I can say that today, I have been informed by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet that between March 2020 in May 2021, the prime minister Scott Morrison was appointed to five additional portfolios,” Albanese said.

Guardian Australia has contacted Josh Frydenberg, the former treasurer, and Karen Andrews, the former home affairs minister, for comment.

News.com.au reported that Andrews said she would “ask him [Morrison] to resign and leave Parliament.”

“I did not know,” she told the Nine newspapers. “When it was all unfolding over the last 24 hours I wondered if Home Affairs would come up for no reason other than he had launched himself into a range of portfolios. I had nothing from him, nothing from PMO, no knowledge.”

The prime minister claimed the former government had deliberately undermined the checks and balances system of Australian democracy.

“He told us he was a bulldozer and his Coalition colleagues just shrugged their shoulders and cheered him on, not in one election but in two elections. Turns out, he was the world’s first stealth bulldozer,” Albanese said.

“Operating in secret, keeping the operations of the government from the Australian people themselves. And misleading parliament as to who was holding what portfolios and who was responsible.”

Albanese is seeking further legal advice about the legality of the ministerial arrangements, including from the Solicitor-General, which he expects to receive on Monday.

Earlier, Morrison defended his actions in secretly having himself sworn into multiple ministry roles, saying they were “safeguards” and “the right decision” during the pandemic. He acknowledged in a 2GB radio interview that he had assumed responsibility for the health, finance and resources portfolios, but asked whether there were any others, Morrison responded: “not to my recollection”.

“I’m happy if there are other [portfolios] to be out there,” he said, admitting “there were a number” of other portfolios he considered taking responsibility for at the time.

“They were very unconventional times.”

Albanese said he had not been advised that any of Morrison’s appointments had an end date, meaning the former prime minister may have held all five of those roles until the Coalition lost power. The current prime minister said he had uncovered no reason why Morrison had gone into those additional roles, and raised concerns over secrecy around which minister was exercising important powers during the pandemic.

“There is no explanation that satisfies the swearing in, in my view,” Albanese said.

“I, as Leader of the Opposition, agreed to special powers, for example for the Minister for Finance, to make payments in an emergency circumstance because of the pandemic. We had discussions, explicitly, with Mathias Cormann, as Finance Minister. We weren’t aware that we were giving authority to someone else as well, potentially, to make payments. And we did that on the basis of Mathias Cormann giving commitments about consultation should any of that expenditure be necessary.”

Albanese declined to answer questions about whether the government would support or introduce a censure motion on Morrison, but accused him of “misleading of Parliament”.

The Greens are calling for Morrison to be referred to the privileges committee to consider whether being appointed to ministries without telling parliament could amount to contempt or misleading parliament.

The party’s attorney general spokesperson, David Shoebridge, told Guardian Australia the creation of “secret ministries” is an “attack on parliamentary accountability”.

Albanese would not engage with questions about whether he thought there should be consequences for Morrison’s actions, but did hint that he thought Morrison should leave parliament.

“With regard to actions in the Parliament or any other actions that might take place, I’m not here to announce any of those things this morning. I’m not here to announce any of those actions. Parliament is not sitting for a couple of weeks,” he said.

“I think the people of Cook deserve to be represented by someone who is interested in our parliamentary democracy and in day-to-day politics.”