Already Lost for a Real Agenda

If you don't know what to do, you'll end up doing anything to mask your lack of imagination.

That certainly seems to be the mantra adopted by the Albanese government.

Yesterday they announced an intended inquiry into Scott Morrison's 'minister for everything' power grab.

This follows on from the release of the Solicitor General's legal advice that found the appointments were "inconsistent with the conventions and practices which are essential to a responsible system of government under Australia’s constitution."

The Australian reported:

...Mr Donaghue found the principles of responsible government were “fundamentally undermined,” arguing that the parliament was unable to hold a minister accountable for their responsibilities if its members were “not aware that the minister has those powers.”

The advice also detailed that Morrison's appointments were valid, there was no breach of the constitution and that the former PM had acted lawfully.

There you have it.

The legal advice is totally consistent with our assessment from when the story broke but that's not good enough for the political barn-burners in Labor.

They now want an inquiry into the conduct of the former PM.

What's to inquire about I ask?

We know what happened, we know it was foolish and we heard the justification for the actions. Sure, those excuses sounded like self-serving nonsense but that doesn't change the facts.

We also know that no illegality was involved and only political conventions were broken.

To me, the breaking of convention is actually a big deal and I've seen it happen more and more often in politics.

Conventions rely on the goodwill, positive intent and integrity of all involved.

Unfortunately they are in rare supply in parliament and that's why a succession of PMs have trashed unwritten rules for their own ends.

So what are the Labor government hoping to achieve?

Don't fall for the spin. It's got nothing to do with protecting our democracy or the integrity of government. That could be sorted with the passage of legislation or some amendments to standing orders.

No, this inquiry is just about causing political pain for the opposition.

And with that, we now know that Labor consider the business of politics is more important than running the country.

An inquiry will achieve nothing and likely cost millions of dollars. It would be much cheaper and easier to pass some amendments forcing the public disclosure of all ministerial appointments on every parliamentary sitting day.

Even the opposition has mouthed words of support for an initiative of that sort. It could be done and dusted in the first minutes of the next time the parliament meets.

Good government would necessitate doing the most effective, most cost efficient means of achieving the end goal.

Going through a shamelessly partisan witch hunt, when you already know where all the witches are, is just another public distraction and a total waste of taxpayers money.