Australian Government Pledges to Prohibit Prime Ministers From Secret Self-Appointments

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Australian government has issued recommendations to prevent the country's prime ministers from giving themselves powers to co-minister multiple departments and improve transparency after a probe into former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s secret self-appointments in 2020, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"The Inquiry examined the appointment of former Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, to administer multiple departments without disclosure to his colleagues or the public … the Inquiry has made six recommendations to improve transparency, accountability and restore public trust in Australian democracy," Albanese said in the statement.

The statement also said that the recommendations included legislation to require public notice of the ministers' appointment to administer departments and hold offices, the publication of acting arrangements for ministers, as well as "the publication of details of which Ministers are appointed to administer departments and an outline of divisions of responsibilities where more than one Minister is appointed to the same department."

"The quick implementation of these recommendations will ensure that the Australian public can have full confidence that this breach of trust will never happen again," it added.

Albanese first announced the launch of an initial internal investigation into his predecessor on August 15, after it became known that Morrison, who had served previously as head of the government, appointed himself to five key ministerial posts during the COVID-19 pandemic without informing the rest of the cabinet or the public.

Morrison said that there was no need to publish the data on his secret appointments as it was a "precautionary measure" during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that none of the portfolios were used.