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RUBY:

From Schwartz Media I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am.

A prime minister will never again be able to secretly appoint themselves to act in multiple ministries.

The practice will be made unlawful, with new rules to make appointments public – even Scott Morrison himself agrees with that.

He said as much, when he rose to stand in front of the parliament and explain his actions. But the speech he delivered was hardly an admission of guilt.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno on what Scott Morrison did when faced with the chance to explain himself.

It’s Friday, December 2.

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RUBY:

Paul, this week, Scott Morrison became the first ever former prime minister to be censured by the parliament. So could you take me to the moment of that motion? Tell me about what happened and what you thought as you watched it all unfold.

Paul:

Well, sure, Ruby. Scott Morrison is still a member of parliament, but now a humble backbencher, literally sitting in the back corner of the back row. But the government was firmly of the view that his behaviour as Prime Minister treated the Parliament with contempt and he deserved unprecedented censure. It's symbolic, but I have to tell you, it's a reputation cruncher. Morrison is the first prime minister to be so condemned by the parliament. The motion was brought on by the government after the release of the Bell Report into Scott Morrison's secret appointment of himself to additional ministries that had special powers. And the report was scathing, saying Morrison's stated reason for the power grab, the pandemic. Well, it didn't really stack up as an excuse. Former High Court Justice Virginia Bell said that the appointments were unnecessary and she concluded, quote, The secrecy with which they'd been surrounded was corrosive of trust in government.

Archival tape -- Tony Burke:

“This is not some small matter. It goes to the absolute core of the principle of responsible government.”

Paul:

It was Tony Burke, the leader of the House, who moved the motion and asked the speaker, rather theatrically, to remove time limits and give Morrison as much time as he wanted to explain himself to the Parliament.

Archival tape -- Tony Burke:

“The member for Cook did not tell ministers themselves that he had sworn into their portfolios. His cabinet was not told. The department secretaries were not told. The parliament was not told, and through the parliament the Australian people were not told.”

Paul:

Burke said Morrison didn't just fall below the standards expected, he undermined them; he rejected them, he attacked them, and he abused them.

Archival tape -- Tony Burke:

“The conduct that happened in the last term that we now know about was unacceptable, fell below the required standards, and we have no choice but to support a censure.”

Archival tape -- Members in the chamber:

“Hear hear!”

Archival tape -- The Speaker:

“Order.”

Paul:

Well, by then the clerks had brought Morrison a lectern, and it was his turn to address the parliament.

Archival tape -- The Speaker:

“I give the call to the honourable member for Cook.”

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker…”

RUBY:

And in this moment Paul, Scott Morrison must have known with the numbers in the government's favour that he was about to be censured. The report into his actions had recommended that this situation should never happen again and that secret appointments should be outlawed. So in this moment, as it all came to a head, what did we get from Scott Morrison? What did he say to the Australian people and to his colleagues, most of whom he'd kept the secret from as well?

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Mr. Speaker, I am proud of my achievements in this place and I am proud of my government. Mr. Speaker.”

Paul:

Well if anyone at this point expected soul searching or candour from Morrison. Well, they were disappointed.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“My government stood up and faced the abyss of uncertainty that our country looked into.”

Paul:

He rose, and incredibly, he accepted the Bell inquiry's recommendations to outlaw secret ministerial arrangements in future.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

"I now consider that these decisions in hindsight were unnecessary. They were unnecessary, and that insufficient consideration was given to these decisions at the time, including non-disclosure. I therefore accept the recommendations put forward by the Bell inquiry as an appropriate remedy to these shortcomings.”

Paul:

But moments later, Morrison said if the opposition or the media had asked him about the undisclosed ministerial power grab, he would have fessed up.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

"I also note, as it's particularly relevant to this house and this motion that I was present each and every day at that dispatch box, Mr. Speaker, to hence answer any and all questions in this house regularly directed to me as Prime Minister on all matters involving all portfolios that were the subject of the Bell inquiry.”

Paul:

So get this Ruby, others are to blame for not knowing what he refused to tell them in the first place. Go figure.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“I have no intention now, Mr. Speaker, of submitting to the political intimidation of this government, using its numbers in this place to impose its retribution on a political opponent.”

Paul:

Well, after Morrison had finished speaking, many in the Coalition staged a walkout, shaking hands with Morrison as they went.

This was an extraordinary thumbing of their noses at the very conventions that are the glue of our representative democracy. It was just appalling to see it. But there was one shining light. Morrison's bizarre explanations left Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer unimpressed.

Archival tape -- Bridget Archer:

“I do not accept any of the explanations put forward by the former prime minister for his actions, and I'm deeply disappointed by the lack of genuine apology or more importantly, understanding of the impact of these decisions.”

Paul:

She told Parliament that politics is not a game and the censure was a clear opportunity for a line to be drawn and to move in the right direction.

Archival tape -- Bridget Archer:

“We must heed the message sent to us at the May election, learn those lessons, reset and move forward constructively.”

Paul:

Archer was the lone liberal to cross the floor. Former minister Karen Andrews, who previously called on Morrison to quit Parliament well, she couldn't bring herself to vote against the censure. She abstained. The motion passed 86 votes to 50, with most of the crossbench supporting it, except Queensland maverick Bob Katter and Sydney independent Dai Lee. They joined the Liberals and Nationals to vote against it.

Archival tape -- The Speaker:

“The result of the division is: ayes 86, noes 50. The matter is resolved in the affirmative.”

Paul:

And with that, Morrison's place in the history books was sealed. The first former prime minister to be censured.

RUBY:

It really is a remarkable end to Scott Morrison's year, isn't it, to start 2022 as prime minister and to end it being censured by Parliament. So what kind of a figure is he in Parliament these days and how much longer do you think he's going to actually stick around for?

Paul:

Well, there's no doubt he is a diminished figure and he's earned the scorn and condemnation of former and present colleagues for his betrayal of their trust. Morrison told Parliament he'll continue to serve his electors as the member for Cook. Of course the last thing the Opposition would want at this stage would be a by-election in his seat. But who knows? In the new year, probably after the New South Wales state election in March, we might well see Morrison quit and the end of him in Parliament.

RUBY:

We'll be back in a moment.

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RUBY:

Paul, as we've said this week, is the last parliamentary sitting week and it's been a huge rush to the finish line for the Government trying to get all its legislation through. But in the middle of that, the National Party found the time to decide on their position, on the Voice to Parliament. They're going to oppose it. So how did that decision come about? While the Liberal Party are yet to come to a position on the Voice.

Paul:

Yeah, that's right, Ruby. Peter Dutton says he's still waiting on details before he forms a view to take to his party room. But that didn't stop the Nationals.

Archival tape -- David Littleproud:

“So the National Party has made a position that we will not support the voice to Parliament. We believe in empowering local Indigenous communities, giving them the power at a local level, not creating another layer of bureaucracy here in Canberra.”

Paul:

Littleproud spectacularly announced on Monday that the Nationals would oppose the Voice to the Parliament referendum, blaming a lack of detail, and claiming it would not do anything to close the gap, trapping Indigenous Australians in a quagmire of disadvantage compared to the rest of the nation.

Archival tape -- David Littleproud:

“So we want a respectful conversation about this drawing on the men and women who this should be a opportunity to change their lives for the better. And unfortunately we don't believe that this will.”

Paul:

Well, Littleproud said he'd consulted widely, though. Noel Pearson, one of the key figures behind the Uluru statement from the heart, calling for a constitutional voice, said it was a tick and flick exercise.

Archival tape -- Noel Pearson:

“A quick ring around, a tick and flick. He knew he needed to show some semblance of consultation. So he rang Megan Davis and Pat Anderson out of the blue and had a conversation with them. This was just all about giving the appearance of consultation.”

Paul:

Furthermore, Pearson was shocked at this turnaround. He said he'd found the Nationals much more enthusiastic supporters of the Voice than many Liberals in his discussions before the May election.

Archival tape -- Noel Pearson:

“It's completely inconsistent, as I say, with the history of the National Party members, respectful engagement with the idea of a voice…”

Paul:

Littleprouds framing of his party room's preemptive rejection of a voice. Well, it really doesn't stack up. While the detail is still being finalised, the principles it is based on are readily available. A point made by the Morrison Government's Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt. Wyatt said he had twice taken them to Cabinet and people like Littleproud and Dutton should be able to access his submission in their records if they can't remember.

RUBY:

Yeah, it's looking a little, isn't it, like the Nationals are trying to really wedge the Liberals here by doing this. But regardless what it really does is it opens the door to some kind of no campaign doesn’t it, which is why people like Noel Pearson, who was involved in the Uluru statement, was so damning when he condemned the Nats decision. So how has that announcement by Littleproud on Monday held up as criticism has begun to roll in?

Paul:

Well, Littleproud is already struggling to keep his troops behind him. New South Wales national Andrew Gee was not at the party room meeting that endorsed the no strategy and he says he won't join it. Former leader Michael McCormack, praised by Pearson for his early enthusiasm, signalled he and the Nationals may revisit their opposition when the Government releases its model for The Voice early in the new year. The Western Australian Nationals have also broken ranks. Their leader, Mia Davies, says that the party's state conference had supported the Uluru Statement from the Heart. So this decision by Littleproud isn't without significant risk. There's speculation in the Coalition that Littleproud jumped the gun on the voice response to head off any ambitions former leader Barnaby Joyce might have of a comeback. Well, the Nationals might cloak their opposition to the voice in concern for practical outcomes, but that doesn't work either. And you know, Ruby, it's because it's not an either or proposition.

Archival tape -- Jacinta Nampijinpa Price:

“And why should I, as an indigenous Australian, be governed under a separate entity than the rest of Australia because of my race?”

Paul:

Littleproud was flanked at his Parliament House courtyard news conference by one of the newest members of his party room. Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Price attacked Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney for going to great lengths to visit remote areas.

Archival tape -- Jacinta Nampijinpa Price:

"Minister Burney might be able to take a private jet out into a remote community, dripping with Gucci, and tell people in the dirt what's good for them. But they are in the dark and have been in the dark.”

Paul:

Burney told Parliament she was raised in dirt poor circumstances in a small town by her great uncle and aunt who taught her respect.

Archival tape -- Burney:

“I grew up in Whitton down in the Riverina, a small country town. I was raised by Billy and Nina. They were my great aunt and uncle. We didn't have much, and I didn't know my dad until I was 27. Billy and Nina taught me the value of respect, and being kind to others doesn't cost you anything and that you learn more from listening than by talking.”

Paul:

The Minister for Indigenous Australians cited the latest Closing the Gap report, which showed Aboriginal communities who had had a major say in programmes had greater success in closing the gap. Bernie said the voice is about entrenching that greater say.

Archival tape -- Burney:

“This isn't about more bureaucracy. This is about making sure voices in remote and regional communities are heard.”

Paul:

And she said an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice is an idea whose time has come and she has faith in the Australian people. She said they will decide this referendum, not politicians.

RUBY:

Well, pleasure talking to you always, Paul, and only a few weeks to go now. Do you think it's going to be an easy end to the year or any surprises from Canberra as we see it out?

Paul:

Ruby, how long is a piece of string? Surprises and politics are bedfellows, so you never know. But Albanese and Dutton both urged their troops to go home, have a good break, and get ready for battle next year. I think they're all desperate for a breather, and probably so are you. Nice chatting. Bye!

RUBY:

Bye Paul.

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RUBY:

Also in the news today,

The Labor government has released its first climate statement, which shows that Australia will likely miss the target promised during the federal election.

According to projections from the Climate Change Authority, with current policy settings Australia will only cut its emissions by 40 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030… which is shy of the 43 per cent reduction Labor took to the election.

The Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, said that “significant effort” is needed to reach the 43 per cent target.

And

The Socceroos have advanced to the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2006.

They’ll play a knockout game at 6:00am Sunday morning, against an Argentina team captained by Lionel Messi in what will likely be his final world cup tournament.

7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by Kara Jensen-Mackinnon, Alex Tighe, Zoltan Fecso, and Cheyne Anderson.

Our technical producer is Atticus Bastow.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Our editor is Scott Mitchell. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.

Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

I’m Ruby Jones, see you next week.

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