SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday (Aug 16) said his predecessor Scott Morrison had “undermined our democracy” by secretly appointing himself minister for home affairs and treasury during the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to the health, finance and resources portfolios previously revealed.

Mr Morrison, who stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party after losing a general election in May, has come under fire from senior members of his own party and its coalition partner, the National Party, who were unaware of the arrangements.

After a review of the matter by the Prime Minister’s department, Mr Albanese told reporters Mr Morrison had taken on the health and finance portfolios in March 2020, home affairs and Treasury in May 2021, and resources in April 2021.

“Its completely extraordinary that these appointments were kept secret by the Morrison government from the Australian people,” Mr Albanese said.

Labor Party leader Albanese said on Monday Mr Morrison had sought to centralise power and that he would seek legal advice from the Solicitor-General, Australia's second law officer, on the arrangements. 

The prime minister was critical of the Morrison government for allowing a centralisation of power by the prime minister.

“I cannot conceive of the way that the Government has functioned... whereby they said that, ‘I’m the Prime Minister of Australia and I’d also like to be in charge of Health, Finance, Treasury, Industry, Science, Home Affairs, Resources’.”

Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews said she had no knowledge that Morrison also held the role, and called for Morrison to resign from parliament, The Australian newspaper reported.

“This undermines the integrity of government,” Ms Andrews, a Liberal Party lawmaker, said after Mr Albanese’s press conference. “You can’t govern in a veil of secrecy."

Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who left politics after losing his seat in the May election, was also unaware Morrison held responsibility for treasury, The Australian newspaper reported.

Liberal Opposition leader Peter Dutton said legal advice from the solicitor general was needed before any decisions on next steps were made.

In a lengthy statement, Mr Morrison, who remains a Liberal backbencher, said he regretted that his actions had caused concern but he had “acted in good faith in a crisis”.

He had earlier on Tuesday defended taking on extra ministerial roles without his cabinet’s knowledge during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it was “an unprecedented time” and that the powers served as a safeguard.

“I used such powers on one occasion only. I did not seek to interfere with Ministers in the conduct of their portfolio,” he said in the statement.

He added that “in hindsight these arrangements were unnecessary”.

Mr Morrison, who lost office in a national election in May, said in a radio interview on Tuesday he didn't make the arrangements public because they were a safeguard only and the ministerial powers for health and finance were not triggered.

"We had to take some extraordinary measures to put safeguards in place," he told radio station 2GB, likening it to having two keys on a nuclear submarine.

Mr Morrison said it was an "oversight" and "regrettable" that the finance minister was not informed his role had been duplicated.

“We had to take some extraordinary measures to put safeguards in place,” he told radio station 2GB, likening it to having two keys on a nuclear submarine.

The resources minister role he took on in 2021 was different, he said, because he had used the power to stop approval for a gas drilling project off the coast of Australia which was opposed by local communities. The decision is being challenged in court.

"I sought to be the decision maker on that one because of its importance," he said.

“I believe I made the right decision in the national interest. This was the only matter I involved myself directly with in this or any other Department,” he said in the statement.

He said the powers in those three portfolios were not overseen by cabinet.

Mr Albanese said it was concerning that two people had responsibility for the resources portfolio and had different positions on matters.

“We don’t have a one-person band here. What we have is a Government that has inbuilt checks and balances. And that’s why this is such a breach of convention,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.

Not tabling in parliament who was responsible for ministerial portfolios was “a very clear breach of the obligations that the Prime Minister has to the Parliament”, he added.