August 26, 2022 20:11 PM
Australian Prime Minister Morrison.
[Chinanews.com]According to the British “Guardian” report, Australian Prime Minister Albanese said at a press conference on the 26th that the Australian government will further investigate the “secret” concurrent appointment of five ministers by former Prime Minister Morrison during his tenure.
The investigation will reportedly be led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell and the report will be submitted by Nov. 25.
Albanese said the investigation was “extraordinary” and would fully consider “the impact of these part-time appointments (of Morrison’s) on the functioning of government, public confidence in the government system, and whether the appointment process is legal.” . If Morrison refuses to cooperate with inquiries, he could be subject to enforcement.
It is reported that Morrison served as ministers of five government departments including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020 and 2021, but many cabinet members and the Australian people were completely unaware of this. The incident quickly sparked public discussion, with calls from Australian politicians and the media calling for him to resign as a member of parliament.
There are reports that while Morrison’s approach is seen as “fundamentally undermining” the principles of responsible government, it is not illegal.
On the matter of secretly serving as multiple ministers, Morrison gave an explanation in an earlier interview with the media. He said he needed to resort to “extraordinary means” to implement some safeguards during the “unprecedented period” of the Covid-19 pandemic. Morrison also tweeted that he had acted in extraordinary times and believed that he had “made the right decision for the national interest”.