Former Australian premier censured in parliament over secret ministries

ANKARA (AA) – Australia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday was censured by the parliament over secretly handling five ministerial positions when he was in power, local media said.

The censure motion was moved by the government which was supported by 86 members of parliament while 50 voted against it, ABC News reported.

Morrison rejected the move and refused to tender an apology for his action during his government.

Defending his action, Morrison told parliament that he would not apologize for taking urgent actions during the pandemic as a preventative measure.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned his stand and called his response "hubris, arrogance and denial", saying he expected at least a "semblance of contrition" from his predecessor, according to the broadcaster.

The censure motion has no legal impact on Morrison.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the former prime minister secretly took over the charge of five ministries, including Health, Finance, Treasury and Home Affairs, Industry, Science and Resources, which Albanese says had undermined the government’s checks and balances mechanism.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid