Australia’s new PM to fly to Quad meet hours after taking office
Al JazeeraDec 26, 2021
Former Australian PM Morrison Accused of "Undermining Democracy"
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Image copyright: Reuters [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
Australia's PM Anthony Albanese has accused his predecessor Scott Morrison of undermining the nation's democracy by quietly appointing himself minister of several offices during the COVID pandemic.
News Corp Australia reported that Morrison secretly held positions in treasury, finance, health, home affairs, and resources from May 2020 to May 2021.
The Spin
Narrative A
Although Morrison may have exercised poor judgment, he acted in good faith. And while his actions might have been inconsistent with constitutional convention, they were likely legal. The unconventional times during the pandemic demanded unconventional measures and he was under significant pressure to safeguard the government and the public.
Narrative B
It's irrelevant whether Morrison acted in good faith or not; his behavior was deceitful, unacceptable, and undermined everything that democracy stands for. There's a reason Australia has a constitution and everyone within the government should be working to uphold it.
