It has emerged that former Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, had secretly effectively given himself control over a number of ministerial portfolios, while serving as Prime Minister. Morrison was Prime Minister from 2018 before losing an election earlier this year.
According to reports, between March 2020 and May 2021 Morrison had effectively become Australia’s minister of finance, health, resources, home affairs, and the treasury, centralising power to a very high degree within his office.
His colleagues who officially held those posts allegedly did not know that they shared duties with Morrison.
The Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley, had reportedly signed an ‘administrative instrument’ which gave Morrison these powers, but this was in line with the Australian constitution.
Morrison has doubled down following the revelations saying that he was governing Australia in an unprecedented time.
Current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has said Morrison’s actions were an ‘unprecedented trashing of our democracy’.