Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo and head of Operation Sovereign Borders Rear Admiral Justin Jones should be in the firing line over what looks to be a major breach of caretaker conventions relating to the politicised announcement of an illegal maritime vessel on election day.
A Home Affairs inquiry won’t cut it.
The ABC’s Andrew Greene has revealed it was Morrison’s office that lobbied Home Affairs to announce a boat arrival, in breach of the Coalition’s longstanding policy of non-disclosure, and Home Affairs agreed that Jones, as head of Sovereign Borders, could announce it.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed this morning that his team had been contacted by the PMO about the announcement on Saturday — in accordance with caretaker conventions — and refused to agree to the announcement.
This means a core aspect of the caretaker conventions was seemingly breached by Home Affairs and Jones.
It’s unsurprising that Scott Morrison and his team should trash one last standard of public integrity on their way out the door — they have demeaned and disgraced Australian public life for three and a half years, so casually abusing caretaker conventions in the quest for a grubby last-minute scare campaign is true to form.
But however politicised the public service is, adherence to caretaker conventions is something close to sacred. If the public service can’t be trusted to be independent once Parliament is dissolved, we are on our way to a US-style completely political civil service that must be cleaned out at every change of government.
Absent some additional information, Home Affairs’ convenient decision that a change of announcement policy was acceptable without the agreement of the opposition is a major breach. Nor would it have been taken by a middle manager — unless internal communications has completely broke down in that department, Pezzullo would have automatically been informed of the PMO request. Secretaries have ultimate oversight of adherence to caretaker rules like requests from political offices.
Jones, who appears to have had responsibility for the announcement foisted on him like an unwanted gift, was placed in an invidious position: his is an operational, not a policy role, so it should not have been his call. Even so, the caretaker provisions apply to him too.
Although the government has asked Home Affairs to conduct an inquiry into what happened on Saturday, it is inappropriate for Pezzullo and his department to conduct any sort of investigation into their own behaviour. Only an independent inquiry — with coercive powers — will do to properly explore what misjudgments were made and by whom.
That’s all the more the case given that Home Affairs, and its predecessor departments, has long been the least competent and most poorly led department in the public service, with a staggering list of scandals and disasters reaching back to even before the Coalition government.
Albanese said this morning he had confidence in Pezzullo. He may have spoken too soon. We need a proper inquiry into this rotten department before anyone is let off the hook.
And while we’re at it, let’s get rid of Dutton’s militaristic Border Force and return to Customs.
Yes that was my point exactly yesterday. Macho posturing from a ‘would-be” strongman.
The black uniforms were a bad choice – it has fascist connotations.
But if Labor scrap and refit, they will be accused of waste!
Time to dismantle Home Affairs.
And send Pezzullo packing.
Albo has “confidence” in Pezzullo. I don’t know why. Pezzullo likes to think he is the smartest person in the room. I am not convinced he is that smart.
…. Does that got to Albanese’s judgement?
Or to his caution in an evolving situation.
Pezzullo deserves to suffer for his handling of the department’s responsibilities, but he is also owed the respect of not getting the Holgate treatment from a PM just mouthing off for political convenience.
You may just be seeing Albanese being decent
So what does he have to do to be removed from such a sensitive position of power, he’s been abusing for so long, a fulsome back-up to Dutton?
Absolutely agree. And drop the embarrassing ‘Border Force’ quasi miltary nomenclature. They do immigration. They do not protect the border. That is the job of the military
One of the ( too many to count) good things about Morrison no longer being PM is that perhaps the military will return to their defence of the realm role rather than running government programs that are the responsibility of public servants.
Time to see if we get an ICAC with balls
Former Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo, was a Captains pick by Former PM, Scott Morrison.
Corruption is at the core of the Liberal Party and this is one of numerous ongoing corrupt, unethical practices and behaviour!
Please bring on the intended, independent, Federal ICAC, with coercive retrospective powers!
I have no desire to exculpate Scummo but, for reasons beyond my meagre understanding, the Pez is a bipartisan fav – one may only speculate as to why.
In February 2013 Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare told the media that Customs required major structural change and appointed Pezzullo Customs CEO to drive reforms.
On 2 October 2014 PM Abbott made Pezzullo the new Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
Don’t you love Morrison’s pledge to change his ways, followed almost immediately with this act of bastardry? Did he successfully give up bulldozerism for even a day? An hour? Hilarious, desperate stuff from the truly loose unit.
Morrison is the epitome of neoconservative politics – the end justifies the means. Unfortunately the end does not mean social justice for all, but justice for no one. Just grafting as much money to the corporate masters, mates and relatives.
As you say, in his mind the end justified the means, and the end was always “what is best for me, at this point in time?”….which is why anyone and everything was up for throwing under the bus, as it always boiled down to this simple equation.
He called it his “flow mind” or something naff like that, the old-fashioned term is “being an utterly selfish b@st@rd”.
Morrison, the Prime Minister for Morrison, and nothing else.
Same as him being the first PM to confect the lie that Labor was/would be soft on China. External affairs traditionally have not been an internal political issue…..
Let us not forget the rise in electricity bills that were conveniently sat on until after the election.
Absolutely. Morrison’s dear Brother Stuie was on RN Breakfast explaining he would never comment in respect of on-water operations comments.
Keane says, “If the public service can’t be trusted to be independent once Parliament is dissolved, we are on our way to a US-style completely political civil service that must be cleaned out at every change of government.”
Keane of all people should know we are not merely “on our way” there. We arrived some time ago. Many senior posts in the public service have been methodically stuffed with Liberal Party goons. The Adminstrative Appeals Tribunal is beyond saving and needs to be scrapped and replaced in its entirelty. The HRC has been corrupted. Many other senior positions have been used to reward party members and ensure the last government was not exposed to independent scrutiny or disinterested advice, and government departments can be relied upon to act for the partisan political advantage as happened here. It is one of the greatest scandals and worst legacies of the last government, and Labor faces a huge task in clearing up the mess. Labor should also be looking for ways to remove the excessive discretion given to ministers that has been so egregiously abused so that it is more difficult for it to be repeated in future. That applies not only to appointments but to funding allocations and more. Ministers are not to be trusted with such power, we have surely learned that much.
Pezzullo has served both sides. He is a big fan of Howard’s changes to the Public Service Act – public servants serve the government of the day, not the Australian public. This change politicised the public service. Suits Pezzullo as he can “divide and rule”.