Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday it was "necessary" to have additional cabinet powers during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was. Morrison has been accused of undermining Australian democracy by secretly appointing five senior ministries without the knowledge of most of his government colleagues.
Scott Morrison was "at the helm" of the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, so from 2020 to 2021 he will assume his five He said he had secretly pledged two ministerial portfolios.
Morrison lost his power in his May federal election. His successor, Anthony Albanese, has led a chorus of increasingly bitter criticism, condemning his former leader's behavior as "unacceptable" and "strange".
Albanians said Morrison undermined the British-style Westminster government system.
But Morrison told reporters Wednesday that he was acting in the national interest.
He "believed it necessary to have powers to exercise in unforeseen extreme circumstances, effectively emergency powers, that would enable him to act in the national interest. he said.
Few of Morrison's former ministers knew that Morrison had been appointed to several key ministerial posts.
According to media reports, even top Australian intelligence officials were unaware of what was called a "covert power grab."
Former Home Secretary Karen Andrews, who worked in Morrison's cabinet, called on Morrison to resign from Congress for his "disgraceful behavior".
Experts believe Morrison's actions appear unusual and unethical, but are unlikely to be unconstitutional.
This is a special chapter in Australian politics, says Stewart Jackson, senior lecturer in political science at the University of Sydney.
"The Prime Minister is about to become President. As you know, we do not live in a presidential system and we do not directly elect the Prime Minister. So this is very strange and "It's a very interesting and flagrant abuse of convention. He just ignored them. I don't necessarily think it's illegal, but it's certainly bizarre behavior," he said.
The revelations of Morrison's secret cabinet appointments came to light in a biography written about the former prime minister.
Morrison said he did not speak to his Cabinet colleagues because he only exercises power in an emergency.
His explanation did not convince his skeptics. Australian Treasury Secretary Jim Chalmers said Wednesday that Morrison's actions were "dictatorial".
