THE SQUIZ
The plot thickens over former PM Scott Morrison’s accumulation of ministerial appointments during the last term of government. PM Anthony Albanese yesterday confirmed that his predecessor secretly put his name down for Treasury alongside Josh Frydenberg and Home Affairs with Karen Andrews in May last year. That adds to earlier revelations that Morrison had undeclared appointments to the Health, Finance, and Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolios. Calling Morrison’s moves “an extraordinary and unprecedented trashing of our democracy”, Albanese said he “told us he was a bulldozer”. Reports say Frydenberg was unaware of his former boss’s appointment, and Andrews said she definitely didn’t know. She went as far as calling for Morrison’s resignation from parliament – a step Coalition leader Peter Dutton did not back. He wants to see what the Solicitor-General makes of it and yesterday called for “cooler heads to prevail”.

SO WHAT DOES MORRISON SAY?
He posted a statement on Facebook yesterday. Get yourself a cuppa if you’re going to tackle it – or stick with us… Long story short, he’s defending his actions, saying the risk of ministers becoming “incapacitated, sick, hospitalised, incapable of doing their work” with COVID – or even dying – meant the arrangements were justified. He puts his decision to appoint himself to the Health, Finance, Treasury and Home Affairs portfolios in that bucket – and says he never used his powers over those departments. “In hindsight these arrangements were unnecessary”, but says he “acted in good faith in a crisis.” But his appointment to the Resources portfolio was another matter… That was to rule out the renewal of a licence for oil/gas exploration off the NSW coast over Nationals’ Minister Keith Pitt, who favoured the project. “For any offence to my colleagues I apologise,” he said after some like Andrews expressed their anger. As for why he didn’t clue in Aussie voters, he didn’t say.

WHERE IS THIS GOING?
There are 3 things to note. The first is that PM Albanese hasn’t addressed the “legality” of Morrison’s actions yet – that will happen when he receives advice from the Solicitor-General next Monday. The second is examining the Governor-General’s role in all of this and whether David Hurley should or could have questioned Morrison’s moves. And finally, the episode has added to the growing calls for a Royal Commission into the handling of the pandemic by governments and bureaucracies across the country. Yesterday, Albanese said it was “inconceivable” that a great big inquiry into the thing that’s dominated our lives for the last couple of years wouldn’t be held.