Morrison’s secret ministries not a ‘laughing matter’, PM says
The prime minister appeared on ABC Breakfast News this morning where hosts asked him about Scott Morrison’s all-nighter commenting on Facebook – “cracking gags, joking, about his multiple jobs, photoshopping his face on people like the coach of the Cronulla Sharks rugby league club and he wrote on Facebook – I’m quoting him directly – ‘As Aussies we can also have a chuckle at ourselves.’ What do you think of that?”
Anthony Albanese:
Well, I think that this undermining of parliamentary system of government, of the whole Westminster system, and our democratic traditions of accountability, something that aren’t a laughing matter, and I’m surprised at the response of Mr Morrison to this. But then again, I frankly was shocked by the revelations that he not only was prime minister but took over responsibility or shared responsibility for five different portfolios as well …
I’m also somewhat surprised that there’s been no concept that there’s a need to say to the Australian people that the wrong thing was done here in undermining our Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.
But people will make their own judgment, I guess, about whether Mr Morrison’s actions has been appropriate. Certainly many of his colleagues have been very clear that they are shocked by the behaviour as well and the undermining of democracy. It’s a pity it took Peter Dutton some time to distance himself from Mr Morrison’s actions.
Key events
Burney calls Howard’s comments on the voice ‘scurrilous’
Circling back to minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney’s interview on ABC Radio.
She was asked about the comments from former prime minister John Howard yesterday about the voice to parliament, warning it may be “coercive” and criticising a lack of detail:
The points Mr Howard has been making are absolutely scurrilous.
“But the Uluru Statement was so clear that it would be an advisory body to the Parliament, so the points Mr Howard has been making are absolutely scurrilous.. and I am pleased to see Malcolm Turnbull has changed his mind”
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) August 18, 2022
Morrison’s secret ministries not a ‘laughing matter’, PM says
The prime minister appeared on ABC Breakfast News this morning where hosts asked him about Scott Morrison’s all-nighter commenting on Facebook – “cracking gags, joking, about his multiple jobs, photoshopping his face on people like the coach of the Cronulla Sharks rugby league club and he wrote on Facebook – I’m quoting him directly – ‘As Aussies we can also have a chuckle at ourselves.’ What do you think of that?”
Anthony Albanese:
Well, I think that this undermining of parliamentary system of government, of the whole Westminster system, and our democratic traditions of accountability, something that aren’t a laughing matter, and I’m surprised at the response of Mr Morrison to this. But then again, I frankly was shocked by the revelations that he not only was prime minister but took over responsibility or shared responsibility for five different portfolios as well …
I’m also somewhat surprised that there’s been no concept that there’s a need to say to the Australian people that the wrong thing was done here in undermining our Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.
But people will make their own judgment, I guess, about whether Mr Morrison’s actions has been appropriate. Certainly many of his colleagues have been very clear that they are shocked by the behaviour as well and the undermining of democracy. It’s a pity it took Peter Dutton some time to distance himself from Mr Morrison’s actions.
Torres Strait Islanders ‘see themselves … as a minority within a minority’, Linda Burney says
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, is speaking to ABC Radio as she continues her visit alongside the prime minister Anthony Albanese in the Torres Strait consulting on a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice to parliament.
Asked what she is trying to find out from Torres Strait Islanders, she responds:
We’re talking to the people of the Torres Strait about the support for a voice … and we’re also talking to them about a whole range of other issues.
And they have talked very clearly about the various governance structures they have in place up here … and they’re all things we should consider very deeply as we go forward and talk about the design of the voice.
It is a region in itself, it is very distinct … and they see themselves as it was described to us as a minority within a minority.
Adam Morton
National electric vehicle strategy to improve affordability and choice
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, will tell the national EV summit the Albanese government has written to the states and territories inviting them to work together on a national EV strategy, including considering the introduction of vehicle fuel efficiency standards to drive the uptake of cleaner cars.
Fuel efficiency standards set an emissions target for auto manufacturers averaged across all the cars they sell, measured in grams of CO2 released per kilometre driven. Targets are gradually reduced to zero, when they effectively become a ban on new fossil fuel cars. They are in place across about 80% of the global light vehicle market.
Excerpts of Bowen’s speech released to media before the event said the strategy would aim to improve affordability and choice by expanding the local EV market. Only 2% of new cars sold in Australia last year were low-emissions vehicles, compared with 9% globally.
In the extract, Bowen pulled up short of promising mandatory fuel efficiency standards, but said it was time for “an orderly and sensible discussion” about whether they could help improve the supply of EVs and cut both emissions and the cost of running a car. He said Australia was the only OECD country other than Russia to not have introduced vehicle carbon dioxide standards or have them in development.
Bowen’s speech notes said:
The lack of such standards in Australia is cited as one of the factors impacting the supply and cost of EVs. Why? Because while Australia doesn’t show leadership, manufacturers prioritise markets which do.
It means consumers aren’t getting the choice available internationally and, as the world moves towards more efficient and cleaner vehicles, we risk becoming a dumping ground for older technology which can’t be sold in other markets.
Morrison ‘feeling amused’ after meme spree
While Australian leaders and constitutional law experts have been profoundly troubled by the revelations that Scott Morrison undermined the Westminster system of democracy by secretly swearing himself into five additional ministries, the former prime minister himself is “feeling amused”.
Since yesterday, the prime minister has been responding to memes created in response to the secret ministries saga in comments from his official Facebook account.
Morrison then made his own post last night with the status of “Scott Morrison (Scomo) is feeling amused” along with his own array of photoshopped images:
It’s been fun joining in on all the memes. But there are so many now I can’t keep up. As Aussies we can always have a chuckle at ourselves.have a good evening. This was my own effort with the Sooshi Mango boys. Glad to be also joining their team, along with all the other gigs you guys have given me today.
Good morning!
Australia’s first national electric vehicle summit is taking place in Canberra today as the government attempts to build a national strategy for EVs.
Minister for energy Chris Bowen will be joined by state counterparts, representatives from electric vehicle manufacturers including the head of Volkswagen Australia, and Mike Cannon-Brookes, the CEO of tech company Atlassian and renewable energy advocate, to discuss measures including a fuel efficiency standard.
Reactions continue to come in after the revelations that Scott Morrison secretly swore himself into five additional ministries.
Keith Pitt, who was resources minister at the the time Morrison also took on the portfolio, has said he supports a royal commission into the handling of the pandemic but isn’t calling for the former prime minister to resign.
Pitt and agriculture minister Murray Watt both appeared on ABC’s Q&A program yesterday evening.
Pitt revealed that former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack knew Morrison appointed himself to the resources portfolio in 2021. He responded to Stan Grant:
It may have occurred in a meeting that Michael was at with all of us, including the PM and his representatives, or it may have been a separate discussion. I’m working my way through what is a very complex diary.
We had a discussion, Michael was aware, but my recollection was that he may well have been in the room when we had a previous discussion with the PM.
Watt then called for Morrison to resign, and for the Coalition agreement to be scrapped as he suggested the Nationals ministers involved had done a disservice to the National party.
Let’s kick off!
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