Embraces, dissent and a walkout: Scott Morrison has been censured. Here's how it happened

The former prime minister refused to apologise for secretly taking over five key cabinet posts, saying criticisms of his “entirely necessary” decisions are being made in the “calm of hindsight”.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison reacts during a censure motion moved against him in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP / LUKAS COCH

Key Points

• The motion to censure Scott Morrison passed 86 - 50 after a vote in the House of Representatives.
• The former prime minister refused to apologise for secretly appointing himself to five portfolios.
• One Coalition member, Bridget Archer, voted to condemn him, while Karen Andrews abstained from voting.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been embraced by almost all his Coalition colleagues, after calling his censure by federal parliament “political intimidation”.

Labor took the unprecedented step of passing a censure motion against Mr Morrison over his decision to appoint himself to five ministerial portfolios during his time as prime minister.

The motion passed 86 votes to 50.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer broke ranks to condemn her former boss, labelling his actions “an affront to democracy”, while frontbencher Karen Andrews abstained from the vote.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer voted to condemn Scott Morrison, having labelled his actions "an affront to democracy" Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

A report by former chief justice Virginia Bell into the saga found Mr Morrison undermined public trust in democracy and enabled a “culture of secrecy and cover-up”.

But in a fiery defence minutes before the vote, Mr Morrison refused to apologise for his “entirely necessary” actions, claiming criticism was made in the “calm of hindsight”.

He left the chamber soon afterwards, along with most Coalition MPs, and was not present to hear his successor Anthony Albanese describe his actions as an “abuse of power and a trashing of our democracy”.

What is a censure motion?

Censure motions are parliament’s way of formally expressing disapproval in an MP, and are decided by a vote in the chamber.

They can be used to condemn a party as a whole, usually the opposition, or an individual sitting in either house.

Because the government usually controls a majority in the lower house, you almost never see one of its members condemned there.

Censure motions have no direct powers, but are viewed as parliament condemning the subject's behaviour.

Scott Morrison calls motion 'political intimidation'

Addressing the chamber for nearly half an hour, Mr Morrison said he had “no intention now of submitting to the political intimidation of this government”.

He insisted the nation “faced the abyss” of COVID-19 and a trade war with China at the time of the takeover.

“I do not apologise for taking action … in a national crisis, in order to save lives and to save livelihoods,” he said.

“During this period, we were fighting for our very survival, from a public health, economic, and national security perspective.”

Mr Morrison reiterated his support for the recommendations of the Bell inquiry, including new laws ensuring ministerial appointments are made public.

But he dismissed Wednesday’s symbolic motion as the “politics of retribution and nothing less”.

“These are the behaviours of an opposition, not a government, which understands that grace in victory is a virtue … I will take the instruction of my faith and turn the other cheek,” he said.

Mr Morrison claimed he would have “responded truthfully” if asked about the arrangements, which were not known even to many of his colleagues, by the media.

The former prime minister was embraced by Coalition MPs after concluding his speech, with the exception of Ms Archer.

Her frontbench colleague Karen Andrews, one of the ministers whose powers were secretly co-opted, did not vote.

Ms Andrews had previously called for Mr Morrison to leave parliament when the scandal broke, but described the motion as a “political stunt”.

“I expected Labor to milk this and that is exactly what they did,” she said in a statement.

Anthony Albanese: Scott Morrison 'just doesn't get it'

Speaking shortly after his predecessor, Mr Albanese described the censure motion as a “profoundly sad moment” in parliamentary history.

But he warned the Capitol Hill riots in Washington DC showed democracy cannot be taken for granted, telling colleagues they had a responsibility to condemn Mr Morrison’s “extraordinary” actions.

“Power should never be abused. This was an abuse of power and a trashing of our democracy,” he said.

“[He] has confirmed again that he just doesn't get it.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks on a Censure Motion on former prime minister Scott Morrison in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP / LUKAS COCH

Mr Albanese said he arrived in the chamber unsure whether he would speak on the motion, but Mr Morrison’s speech had forced his hand.

He blasted his predecessor for framing Australia’s pandemic response as a “one-man show”, saying it had relied on a constructive Labor opposition, and millions of Australians complying with COVID-19 regulations.

“All this unctuousness and self-congratulation we heard this morning should be dismissed,” he said.

“I thought this morning we would see … some a semblance of contrition. We got none of that. We got hubris, we got arrogance, and we got denial.”

The motion was always certain to succeed, given Labor’s majority in the lower house.

The final result was bolstered by support from the Greens, the so-called teal independents, and Ms Archer.