THE most important thing in the extraordinary revelations surrounding Scott Morrison, in his decision to have himself secretly sworn in as minister to at least five key portfolios, is not whether he was within his rights to do so.
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Even if Mr Morrison believed this was prudent political management during the chaos of COVID, and even if he told some of the ministers involved, he kept the Australian public in the dark.
As shocking and as arguably unprecedented as his actions were, it is the secrecy, not the grasp for power itself, that gives very strong ammunition indeed to those who have argued Mr Morrison was unfit to represent the country.
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Before it lost power on May 21, the Morrison government had resisted calls for a wide-ranging inquiry into Australia's pandemic response.
These revelations make such an investigation an absolute must.
What we do know is that Mr Morrison first swore himself in alongside his health minister, Greg Hunt, when the first COVID wave hit in March 2020 and the lockdowns began.
It appears the attorney-general at the time, Christian Porter, was involved, and that the appointment was made by administrative instrument, which may have bypassed the Governor-General, David Hurley.
Governments, even democratic ones, keep secrets all the time.
The nature of secrecy means we may never know what things are being kept from the public view.
The usual reason for secrecy - to keep information "classified" - is national security.
That does not seem to be the case here.
Whatever reasoning Mr Morrison used to justify misleading the nation and most of his government in March 2020, it is difficult to understand how it could be justified on the four subsequent occasions we know it was used over the year that followed.
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One decision Mr Morrison did make public was to stop the nominal resources minister, Keith Pitt, from renewing an exploration licence for the controversial PEP-11 gas project.
His right to do so - with Liberal candidate Brooke Vitnell beside him - was not questioned at the time.
But the integrity of Mr Morrison's decision-making is now under the spotlight and PEP-11 should, in fairness to all, be looked at again.
If the political process was handled correctly, and PM Anthony Albanese stands by his earlier criticisms, the rejection will stand.
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Ian Kirkwood
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
