Outrage as Australians Discover Former Prime Minister Secretly Gave Himself Five Additional Ministries

THE GUARDIAN: Incumbent prime minister says he ‘cannot conceive of the mindset’ that enabled Scott Morrison to appoint himself to additional positions while PM

Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five additional ministries while Australia’s prime minister, in what his successor has labelled an “unprecedented trashing of the Westminster system”.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said on Tuesday he was waiting on legal advice over any possible ramifications of the secret appointments and was “open to reforms and suggestions” so the situation did not reoccur.

Morrison now faces calls to resign from parliament over the revelations, including from one of his former ministers. Karen Andrews, a former minister for home affairs, which is one of the departments to which Morrison appointed himself, said: “This is totally unacceptable, for a prime minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a federal government constitutionally should stand for.” » | Amy Remeikis in Canberra | Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Scott Morrison was sworn in to several portfolios other than prime minister. How can this be done?: Only the governor general can appoint ministers, but there are ways a minister can take on the powers of another »

Australian PM to Ban Faith Schools from Expelling LGBT+ Students – and Some Christians Are Furious

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images)
PINK NEWS: Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has vowed to stop students from being expelled for their sexuality or gender identity by religious schools.

In an unexpected turnaround, the right-wing leader who has long been upfront about his evangelical Christian faith, promised to stop faith-based schools from discriminating against pupils, parents and guardians.

Morrison made the surprise remarks that left fellow lawmakers and religious activists stunned to Brisbane’s B105.3 radio station on Thursday (3 February).

He was asked to share his thoughts on Citipointe College’s now-withdrawn anti-LGBT+ student enrolment contract.

It required families to sign enrolment paperwork that said being LGBT+ is “immoral” and compared it to incest, bestiality and paedophilia.

“No, I don’t support that,” Morrison told the station. “My kids go to a Christian school here in Sydney, and I wouldn’t want my school doing that either.”

Morrison said he will introduce amendments to the Religious Discrimination Bill – which has been a thorny issue for both faith groups and LGBT+ rights campaigners – to prevent religious schools from discriminating in this way. » | Josh Milton | Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Scott Morrison Urged to End ‘Lunacy’ and Push UK and US for Julian Assange’s Release

THE GUARDIAN: Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says UK a ‘lackey’ of US and journalism is not a crime

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has been urged to advocate for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Australian parliamentarians have demanded the prime minister, Scott Morrison, intervene in the case of Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, after the United States won a crucial appeal in its fight to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on espionage charges.

“The prime minister must get Assange home,” the Australian Greens leader, Adam Bandt, told Guardian Australia on Saturday.

“An Australian citizen is being prosecuted for publishing details of war crimes, yet our government sits on its hands and does nothing.”

The independent MP Andrew Wilkie called on Morrison to “end this lunacy” and demand the US and UK release Assange. » | Lane Sainty and AAP | Saturday, December 11, 2021

French Officials Vent Fury over Australian Leak of Macron Text Message

THE GUARDIAN: Confidence shattered by ‘crude’ leak of president’s message to prime minister Scott Morrison, says adviser

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, had texted Australia’s prime minister to ask whether he could expect good or bad news on their submarine deal. Photograph: John Thys/AP
Elysée officials have expressed fury at the decision of Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, to leak a private text message from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, as the diplomatic rift between the two countries deepened.

“Confidence has been completely shattered,” a close adviser to Macron told French media on Tuesday. “Disclosing a text message exchange between heads of state or government is a pretty crude and unconventional tactic.”

The adviser told Le Parisien that it “would never even enter the head” of the French president to disclose communications of this kind. “It is not the kind of thing that is likely to improve relations between France and Australia,” they said.

In the text, two days before the announcement of the Aukus security partnership and the cancellation of a major French contract to supply submarines to Australia, Macron asked Morrison whether he could expect good or bad news on the submarines.

Its publication came after Macron told reporters he “knew” that Morrison had lied to him over plans with the US and the UK to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines. Morrison rejected the claim and said he was “not going to cop sledging of Australia”. » | Jon Henley in Paris | Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Crise des sous-marins : l'entourage de Macron en colère après la fuite d'un SMS au premier ministre australien : Le chef de l'État aurait envoyé : «Dois-je m'attendre à de bonnes ou de mauvaises nouvelles pour notre ambition conjointe sur les sous-marins ?» à Scott Morrison. »

Macron Accuses Australian PM of Lying over Submarine Deal

THE GUARDIAN: French president criticises Scott Morrison and expresses scepticism that Aukus pact will deliver on schedule

Emmanuel Macron at a press conference during the G20 summit in Rome. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Emmanuel Macron has accused the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, of lying to him over an abandoned $90bn submarine contract, in a significant escalation of tensions between Paris and Canberra.

The French president levelled the accusation in impromptu comments to Australian journalists on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome. He said he had a lot of “respect and friendship” for Australia and Australians, but respect between nations needed to be reciprocated.

“I just say when we have respect, you have to be true and you have to behave in line and consistent with this value,” he said.

When asked whether he thought Morrison had lied to him by not revealing Australia’s secret dialogue with the UK and US over the acquisition of nuclear submarines – a dialogue that ultimately became the Aukus pact – Macron was direct in his response. “I don’t think, I know,” he said. » | Katharine Murphy in Rome | Sunday, October 31, 2021

Emmanuel Macron estime que le premier ministre australien lui a «menti» sur les sous-marins : Interrogé par un journaliste australien en marge du G20, le président de la République a redit son sentiment d'avoir été trahi dans ce dossier. »

Crise des sous-marins: dans les coulisses de la «trahison» du siècle

Boris Johnson, Scott Morrison et Joe Biden (de gauche à droite) ont profité du G7 en Cornouailles (ici, le 12 juin, au Carbis Bay Hotel) pour sceller l’alliance de sécurité et de défense Aukus entre le Royaume-Uni, l’Australie et les États-Unis.UPI/ABACA/UPI/ABACA
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Pour satisfaire les Australiens, la France avait même proposé de «réévaluer» le contrat et de fournir des sous-marins nucléaires.

Même les anciens espions John le Carré et Ian Flemming, le créateur de James Bond, n’auraient pu imaginer un tel scénario. Ils auraient en revanche pu trouver un titre à l’affaire dite «des sous-marins australiens»: la trahison du siècle. Ses détails, qui racontent l’une des plus grandes arnaques diplomatiques dont a jamais été victime la France, expliquent le niveau de colère, rarement vu pour un allié, des plus hauts responsables français. Ils justifient aussi la «rupture de confiance» évoquée par Paris envers les États-Unis et l’Australie. Elle devrait laisser des traces pendant longtemps. Surtout vis-à-vis de l’Australie. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | mardi 21 septembre 2021

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Crise des sous-marins: Scott Morrison, le pire des alliés pour la France

Le premier ministre australien, Scott Morrison, durant une conférence de presse à Canberra, le 17 août. ROHAN THOMSON/AFP
LE FIGARO : PORTRAIT - L’actuel premier ministre australien est l’exact opposé de son prédécesseur, le centriste Malcolm Turnbull avec qui la France avait signé en 2016 le «contrat du siècle».

Le monde l’avait découvert lors des violents incendies qui ont ravagé l’Australie en 2019-2020. Une crise d’une ampleur inédite particulièrement mal gérée par Scott Morrison, qui, au summum de celle-ci, avait choisi de maintenir ses vacances à Hawaï. Finalement contraint de revenir, il s’était défendu en rappelant que son rôle n’était pas de «tenir la lance à incendie»…

Depuis la semaine dernière et l’annonce choc d’un rapprochement anglo-saxon, plus personne en France n’ignore le nom du premier ministre australien. Scott Morrison, 53 ans, est accusé par Jean-Yves Le Drian d’avoir porté à la France un «coup dans le dos». Une figure qui ne lui est pas inconnue. Morrisson est devenu premier ministre en août 2018, après une énième rébellion interne du Parti libéral qui s’est traduite par l’éviction de son prédécesseur, le modéré Malcolm Turnbull, avec qui la France avait signé en 2016 le «contrat du siècle». » | Par Henri Biaujout | mardi 21 septembre 2021

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Crise des sous-marins : Macron s'entretiendra avec Biden ce mercredi – Le président américain a sollicité un entretien avec son homologue français pour évoquer la crise diplomatique entre les deux pays. »

Australian PM told to '**** Off' over Handling of Bushfires

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted by angry residents as he toured the town of Cobargo in New South Wales.

Scott Morrison Responds to Turkish President's Gallipoli Comments

Ahead of issuing a dressing-down to the Turkish ambassador, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison was highly critical of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's accusation of Islamophobia in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack. He said it was the job of politicians to take the heat out of such situations and no to to inflame them

'All Options Are On The table,' Morrison Warns over Erdoğan's Gallipoli Threat

THE GUARDIAN: Australian PM denounces Turkish president for saying anyone who came to Gallipoli with anti-Muslim sentiments would be sent back in coffins

The Australian prime minister has reacted furiously to comments by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, invoking Gallipoli to denounce anti-Islamic sentiment, warning that “all options are on the table” due to the offensive remarks.

Scott Morrison said Australia will review its travel advisory for Turkey, a threat that could see Australians directed not to travel to Turkey for Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli, attended by thousands every year on 25 April.

In inflammatory comments on Monday, Erdoğan suggested that anyone who comes to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments would be sent back in coffins, “like their grandfathers were” during the Gallipoli campaign. » | Paul Karp | Wednesday, March 20, 2019