Liberal MP Bridget Archer is all but certain to support Labor’s parliamentary censure of Scott Morrison, questioning why her colleagues are putting loyalty to the former prime minister ahead of the federal parliament.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused the government of taking an “opportunistic swipe” at Morrison over a censure motion to be staged in parliament on Wednesday.
Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer says she will cross the floor in support of censuring Scott Morrison.Credit:James Brickwood
The motion follows a review by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, ordered by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, after it was revealed in August that Morrison had himself secretly sworn in to administer the departments of treasury, home affairs, health, finance, and industry, science, energy and resources during his last term in government.
Archer – who crossed the floor last year in support of debating Helen Haines’ anti-corruption legislation – delivered a withering rebuke to Morrison, questioning his actions and highlighting divisions within the Coalition over the issue.
“I am probably inclined to support the censure motion, I don’t think that that should be surprising to anyone really given the position I have taken on a range of things previously,” the Tasmanian MP told this masthead.
“It’s bigger than Scott Morrison in a way, what we are talking about, I think the words of the Bell report were corrosive to democracy. The Australian people care about that, they demonstrated that in their response to their views on integrity. It’s a value we should uphold.”
“Whether people choose to take that as a personal attack, I guess that is their prerogative. If the Coalition is seeking to oppose it out of loyalty, then I would question — where is the loyalty shown to people affected by that decision [on the secret ministries]? Where was the loyalty to your own colleagues?”
“And importantly even if you put all those things aside, where is your loyalty to the Australian people, to the institution that you were elected to serve in?”
On Tuesday morning a Coalition spokesperson said the opposition would consider any legislation to improve the transparency of ministerial appointments “but it is our position to very much not support the censure motion”.
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