March 30, 2024 2:44 am

How Scott Morrison Had Three Secret Jobs During COVID – And Did Not Tell the Australian People About Any of Them – As Anthony Albanese Launches an Investigation Into ‘Extraordinary’ Move

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
WhatsApp
Telegram

URGENT: JUST 11 DAYS REMAIN TO HELP SAVE INDEPENDENT MEDIA & ANR, TO ENSURE WE ARE FULLY FUNDED FOR NEXT MONTH,SO LET'S CUT THE BS & GET TO THE POINT - WE WILL BE FORCED LAY OFF STAFF & REDUCE OPERATIONS UNLESS WE ARE FULLY FUNDED WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS - Sadly, less than 0.5% of readers currently donate or subscribe to us But YOU can easily change that. Imagine the impact we'd make if 3 in 10 readers supported us today. To start with we’d remove this annoying banner as we could fight for a full year...

How Scott Morrison Had Three Secret Jobs During COVID – And Did Not Tell the Australian People About Any of Them – As Anthony Albanese Launches an Investigation Into ‘Extraordinary’ Move

By Charlie Moore | Political Reporter

Scott Morrison was secretly sworn in as health minister, finance minister and resources minister during the Covid-19 pandemic in an extraordinary series of moves that are now being investigated by the new Labor government.

In early 2020, the then prime minister decided he wanted to share power with the existing health and finance ministers, Greg Hunt and Mathias Cormann, to prevent them wielding too much influence over the nation’s biosecurity laws and coffers during the crisis.

The plan was hatched with the approval of attorney-general Christian Porter, according to new book about the federal government’s handling of the pandemic titled Plagued.

Mr Morrison apparently told Mr Hunt: ‘I trust you, mate… but I’m swearing myself in as health minister, too.’

It has since been revealed that in April 2021 the former PM was sworn in as resources minister to prevent Keith Pitt from approving a huge oil and gas project off the Central Coast where Liberal members faced pressure from climate activists and teal independents.

A concerned Mr Pitt only found out in December when he wanted to move ahead with the project but the PM killed it.

The secretive moves were slammed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who is seeking advice as to whether the actions were legal.

‘This is quite extraordinary. Australians need a prime minister who is focused on the job that they’re given,’ he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

Mr Morrison told Sky News he did not wish to comment, adding: ‘I haven’t seen what he has said. Since leaving the job I haven’t engaged in any day to day politics’.

Explaining why Mr Morrison wanted to share power with the health and finance ministers, the book – written by journalists at The Australian – says he felt there ‘needed to be more checks and balances before any single minister could wield such powers’.

The health minister was in charge of shutting the nation’s borders and the finance minister was overseeing the largest fiscal stimulus in Australia’s history.

The powers could not be delegated to Cabinet so Mr Morrison ‘then hatched a radical and until now secret plan with Porter’s approval.’

Mr Hunt was aware of the decision and Mr Morrison, Mr Hunt and Mr Porter felt the move safeguarded ‘against any one minister having absolute power.’

During a press conference on Monday, Mr Albanese hit out at his predecessor.

‘The people of Australia were kept in the dark as to what the ministerial arrangements were. It’s completely unacceptable,’ he said.

‘There’s an absolute need for clear transparency. These circumstances should never have arisen.

‘You know, we do have a non-presidential system of government in this country – but what we had from Scott Morrison is a centralisation of power, is overriding of ministerial decisions, and all done in secret.’

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said the move was ‘weird’ and accused Mr Morrison – an evangelical Christian – of having a ‘messianic’ complex.

‘He was ghosting his own cabinet ministers, he was off on a trip. I don’t know if it’s some messianic complex or if he thought he was the Australian version of Kanye,’ Mr Shorten told ABC radio.

‘I don’t know what was going through his head. Why not tell people, why be secretive?

‘This is about the constitution, it’s about our whole system of government. You really need to have a good explanation and I haven’t heard one yet.’

Mr Shorten said the move showed Mr Morrison ‘didn’t trust his colleagues’.

Opinion pieces don’t necessarily reflect the position of our news site but of our Opinion writers.

Support the ANR from as little as $8 – it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.

Let’s not lose touch…Your Government and Big Tech are actively trying to censor the information reported by The ANR to serve their own needs. Subscribe now to make sure you receive the latest uncensored news in your inbox…

Australian National Review is Australia’s first real free and independent press, one with no editorial control by the elite, but a publication that can generate critical thinkers and critical debate and hold those spreading mistruths and deliberate propaganda in mainstream media to account.

News with a difference that will be educational, compelling and create a platform for political and social change in this country and address the real issues facing this country and the world.

Discover more from ANR

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Watch Full Documentary

URGENT: JUST 3 DAYS REMAIN TO HELP SAVE INDEPENDENT MEDIA & ANR, SO LET'S CUT THE BS & GET TO THE POINT - WE WILL BE FORCED TO LAY OFF STAFF & REDUCE OPERATIONS UNLESS WE ARE FULLY FUNDED WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS

Sadly, less than 0.5% of readers currently donate or subscribe to us But YOU can easily change that. Imagine the impact we'd make if 3 in 10 readers supported us today. To start with we’d remove this annoying banner as we could fight for a full year...

Get access to TruthMed- how to save your family and friends that have been vaxx with vaccine detox, & how the Unvaxxed can prevent spike protein infection from the jabbed.

Free with ANR Subscription from $8