“We will introduce legislation later this week to make sure that this can never,ever happen again,” Albanese said on Monday after cabinet met and agreed to the censure motion as well as legal changes to prevent a repeat of the secret ministries saga.
“And this week,as well,the House will be moving a censure motion on the member for Cook as a result of the findings of[former High Court judge] Virginia Bell and the inquiry,which found that the actions of the former prime minister fundamentally undermined the principles of responsible government.
“The former prime minister wasn’t responsible to the parliament – and through the parliament to the electors – to the departments that he was appointed to administer. And that had[the] real consequence of acting to undermine public confidence in government and were corrosive of trust in government.”
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In her report,Bellmade six recommendations designed to improve transparency around new ministerial appointments and acting arrangements,such as publishing them in the Government Gazette.
Manager of opposition business Paul Fletcher indicated the opposition is likely to back legislation recommended by the Bell inquiry,but said the Coalition would not be supporting the censure motion,labelling it a “political stunt” in an interview on Sky News.
Fletcher said it was very unusual for a censure motion to be brought against a backbencher,as they were typically used to hold a minister to account in the parliament.