Former PM 'undermined' governance in Australia

SYDNEY－Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison's secret appointments to ministries during the COVID-19 pandemic "fundamentally undermined "responsible government despite being legally valid, according to advice from the solicitor-general Stephen Donaghue.

The advice from the country's second-highest law officer was a "very clear criticism" of the implications for Australia's parliamentary democracy, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Tuesday.

Morrison, who stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party after losing the general election in May, has faced a barrage of criticism from the Labor government and his own party, after it was revealed he was secretly sworn in to five ministries without telling parliament or his cabinet.