Morrison’s combative streak returned in spades,especially in his terse exchanges with Sky News’ Andrew Clennell,who found the former PM’s logic puzzling. “It may be puzzling but that would be as as a result of[you] not having walked in my shoes,Andrew,” Morrison rebuked.
There was avoidance on key questions,such as who else in his office knew about the appointments,and liberal use of the royal “we”. When pressed on who exactly he was including when he said that “we” sought to do these things,Morrison said “we” meant “the government”.
The government apparently did not include deputy Liberal leader and treasurer Josh Frydenberg,or the other ministers whose territories were infiltrated.
Nor did he explain exactly what calamity he feared when he assumed these reserve powers - the incapacitation of a minister,he implied - or why the normal process for appointing a replacement could not have been followed.
Nor were we told why on 6 May 2021,more than a year after accumulating the health and finance portfolios as an emergency COVID measure,Morrison suddenly felt the need to cushion himself with the powers of Home Affairs and Treasury. He simply hadn’t thought of it until then,he said.
Morrison was at pains to stress he had not interfered in anyone’s portfolio,except for cancelling the PEP-11 offshore gas exploration project in December. But there was gaslighting of the highest order when he implied we should have realised way back then that he had acquired responsibility for the resources ministry.
Credit:Matt Golding
“That’s the only way I could have exercised those powers,” he said. “Anyone familiar with that issue would have understood that those powers could only have been exercised by someone who had authority under that department. The applicant[Asset Energy] certainly understood that.”
So we should have,too?
“I can’t speak for what is known and not known by those asking me questions about what they know or don’t know about the operation of that Act,” Morrison said. He later clarified:“I didn’t say it was the public’s fault.”
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There was a whiff of resentment at being interrogated by people who - it is true - had not led the country through a pandemic and recession. But he seemed almost as if he were enjoying this last hurrah,and a good dollop of self-satisfaction from fronting up to answer questions when he really didn’t have to anymore,now that he is merely the member for Cook.
And then there was the ultimate Morrisonism;holding multiple positions with utmost fervour and sincerity even though they don’t really gel.
Morrison explained he made these unprecedented moves because the public,the media and the opposition expected him to take responsibility “pretty much for every single thing that was going on” during the pandemic. And yet at no point did he reveal he would fulfil those expectations in the most literal way possible.
There is a cynical parsing of Morrison’s actions:that having learnt how to do the trick in Health and being assured of its legality,he set about doing it in other portfolios secretly,so as not to upset his ministers - implying he didn’t trust them.
Presented with this on Wednesday,he said:“That’s your narrative and I don’t accept it.” And with that classic,the Morrison bingo card was complete.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley.Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.