Drumming the former prime minister out of Parliament is no solution to the weaknesses revealed in the past few days. | David Crowe | ANALYSIS auspol
Australia needs a broader debate about secrecy in government and it is something Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should address. This starts, however, with being clear about how Morrison failed.First, he undercut ministers in a way that blurred the lines of responsibility. After centuries of Westminster government, the great innovation from Morrison was to create two ministers with the same duties. In resources, this meant having two ministers at odds over an oil exploration license.
Morrison cannot admit these flaws but they are real. He designed a path that any future politician could turn into a highway to corruption. A prime minister who is sworn in to ministries such as treasury in secret is in an incredibly powerful position to make decisions without oversight. We do not know enough about how this happened. Morrison said on radio yesterday he did not make any decisions in these portfolios other than the cancellation of the oil exploration permit known as PEP-11, but he also said he could not recall some of the portfolios he held. Albanese named the five portfolios based on a briefing from his department but did not release any documents.
Will the law be changed to ensure governments have to tell voters, in a gazette or a statement, when a minister is sworn into office? “I am open to a range of reforms or suggestions,” Albanese said on Tuesday. It was not a resounding commitment to greater transparency.
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