Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has labelled former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s secret appointment to the Treasury portfolio as “extreme overreach” and “profoundly disappointing”.
Frydenberg has opened up to veteran journalist Niki Savva for her upcoming book Bulldozed about the secret ministries that Morrison acquired during his prime ministership, speaking about the saga for the first time.
“That being said, I don’t think there was any reason for Scott to take on the additional Treasury portfolio. The fact he did take it, and it was not made transparent to me and others, was wrong and profoundly disappointing,” Frydenberg told Savva. “It was extreme overreach.”
His comments, published in an exclusive extract by Nine papers, come as former High Court justice Virginia Bell is due to hand down her findings of a three-month inquiry into Morrison’s secret ministries.
Savva has described Frydenberg’s incredulity at Morrison’s betrayal of trust, and how Karen Andrews didn’t think there was any “plausible” reason for Morrison to have secretly taken over several portfolios.
Frydenberg also told Savva he can’t remember Morrison ever using the word “sorry” in their contact since.
In August, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue found that Morrison’s secret appointment to several portfolios was technically legal but “fundamentally undermined” the principles of a responsible and transparent government.
Meanwhile, as we wait for Bell’s findings to be handed down, Morrison has been keeping himself busy in parliament, meeting on Thursday with the self-proclaimed “professor against political correctness”, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson.
Peterson attended parliament house on Thursday to speak to an audience of Coalition and One Nation politicians, organised by Nationals senator Matt Canavan.
Over the years, Peterson has shot to fame by making a range of controversial comments including fighting against transgender rights, the use of gender pronouns, divorce, and claiming white privilege is not real.
The Australian reported that Peterson told politicians in Canberra they should fight for cheaper energy, smaller government and the nuclear family.
Morrison was pictured in the front row of Peterson’s talk, and then was photographed with him in an image that has spread across social media.
As Frydenberg – Morrison’s former right hand man – attempts to distance himself from the former prime minister, it’s clear where Morrison’s priorities lie.