I forgot to mention that Australia suffered a coup while I was there, in 1975

Then, for the first time in history, the ceremonial Governor General dismissed the government. Now, the Governor General blessed the usurpation of 5 ministerial positions by the Prime Minister.

After the coup, the Australian Governor-General was considered a disgrace, resigned, and moved to France. Rumors that he had been paid off by the CIA circulated. But no Constitutional changes were put in place to remove the power of the Governor General, who is nominally the Queen’s representative in Australia. Australians, then a fortunate race of beachgoers, ignored and forgot.

Now it turns out that the same ceremonial position of Australian Governor General, appointed by the Prime Minister, was employed to give PM Scott Morrison 5 co-Ministerial positions in addition to the position everyone thought he had: Prime Minister.

According to Binoy Kampmark, an Australian academic writing for Global Research,

The current volcanic fuss over Morrison is something to behold.  It was outrageous, say critics, because it was secret, given that such appointments are normally published in the never read Commonwealth Gazette.  For one thing, it brought in the Governor-General, David Hurley, representative of Queen Elizabeth II.  Hurley confirmed that he signed the relevant documents enabling Morrison to assume control over other portfolios “consistent with section 64 of the constitution.”  Hurley also confirmed that it was not an unusual process – in a fashion.  “The Governor-General signs an administrative instrument on the advice of the prime minister.”  Whether that decision was publicised or not was up to the relevant government of the day.

Well, of course the Governor General will try and dodge his responsiblity for this recent affair. But will Australia try and fix the leak that led to the 1975 coup as well as this latest scandal? That leak is the power held by the ceremonial Governor General, an un-elected position supposedly representing the interests of the monarch of another country. Says Binoy Kampmark,

The next step is to make a balanced assessment about a form of government that can so easily fall to usurpations of power by the executive.  It throws up other vital matters: how war is declared; how military agreements can be made without public or parliamentary scrutiny; and how decisions affecting sovereignty are implemented at enormous cost.

The chances of having that broader debate are minimal.  Albanese and his hounds smell blood, but the stains are not going to be that revealing.  The Westminster model will be praised and defended; Morrison will be dismissed as pettily dictatorial.  The fatuous notion of convention, the false assumption of gentlemanly conduct – for women do not feature in this – says everything about what is wrong about this rotten state of affairs.  Inadvertently, Morrison acted consistently with, and enacted his belief: government cannot be trusted.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge.  He currently lectures at RMIT University.  He is a regular contributor to Global Research and Asia-Pacific Research. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com