Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue has found former prime minister Scott Morrison was validly appointed to administer the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio, but the fact it was kept secret “fundamentally undermined” the principles of responsible government.
“Scott Morrison owes the Australian people an apology for undermining our parliamentary democracy system of government that we have, something that can’t be taken for granted,” Albanese said. “The governor-general has no discretion to refuse to accept the prime minister’s advice in relation to such an appointment,” Donaghue said.
Albanese also indicated a future inquiry would not examine Hurley’s conduct, including whether he had asked Morrison to make the appointments public, saying his role had already been examined by the solicitor-general. He said that as a matter of protocol, conversations between the prime minister and governor-general were private.
Donaghue also noted in his advice that he had “not been briefed with any information concerning whether the lack of any notification was the result of a direction from Mr Morrison, or for some other reason”.