PM confirms Morrison will face censure over self-appointed roles
Parliament will be asked to support a censure motion against former prime minister Scott Morrison over his secret ministries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the censure motion would be moved, following the meeting of federal cabinet earlier on Monday.
The motion is expected to be moved by House leader Tony Burke or Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
Cabinet also agreed to implement all six recommendations from former High Court judge Virginia Bellās report into Morrisonās conduct.
Albanese said his predecessor had undermined democracy.
āThe former prime minister wasnāt responsible to the parliament, and through the parliament to the electors, to the departments that he was appointed to administer,ā he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
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āThis wasnāt about a relationship between the former prime minister and his ministers. Itās not a personal relationship between two mates over what happened down the pub. This is about accountability of our democratic system.ā
Opposition government services spokesman Paul Fletcher said a censure motion against a backbencher would be highly unusual.
āThis is a political stunt by the Albanese Labor government,ā he told Sky News on Monday.
āThe proper purpose of a censure motion under the standing orders is to bring a minister to account to the parliament, itās not to be used as some kind of political payback exercise.ā
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Fletcher said the opposition would oppose any censure motion but added there were sensible recommendations in the report and the coalition would back them.
āRecommending that there be legislation to require the publication in the government gazette or similar when a minister is appointed, thatās perfectly sensible,ā he said.
āWe will look at the legislation when it comes forward, but I imagine weāve said pretty clearly we would be likely to support that.ā
Legislation on implementing the Bell reportās recommendations will come before parliament later this week.
The prime minister said it was important to ensure the actions of Morrison did not happen again.
In parliament, he attacked the Oppositionās response and said Morrisonās behaviour āarrogantly dismissed scrutiny as an inconvenienceā.
āThey should never be called conservatives, because conservatives support institutions,ā Albanese said.
ā(The opposition) undermine them at every single opportunity.ā
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