Prime Minister Scott Morrison said sidelined minister Alan Tudge is still a member of his cabinet after he was questioned over the frontbench he would bring to another term in government.
Mr Morrison asked Mr Tudge to step aside as a minister on December 2, after the Education Minister’s former adviser Rachelle Miller publicly alleged their affair had been emotionally abusive and, on one occasion, physically abusive, which Mr Tudge denied.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said sidelined minister Alan Tudge is still a member of his cabinet. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
After an investigation into the affair, Mr Morrison said last month Mr Tudge wouldn’t be returning to the front bench this term.
However, asked on Sunday whether Mr Tudge would be returned to cabinet if the Coalition was re-elected, Mr Morrison replied, “Alan Tudge is still in my cabinet”, a statement labelled “extraordinary” by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.
“Well, it just shows the chaos that is there, even when people step aside, they’ve still got the job,” Mr Albanese said.
“The Education Minister who stood aside apparently is still in the cabinet as the Education Minister, so I’m not quite sure what’s going on there.”
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has labelled the Prime Minister’s statement “extraordinary”.Credit:Rhett Wyman
When faced with questions about his own team should he win government on May 21, the Opposition Leader said his frontbench would occupy the same portfolios they do now, though clarified the Labor caucus would have the final say.
“There is no one disappearing. There is no one withdrawing. And my frontbench, I have absolute faith in, and I would expect the starting point would be that they would maintain the same position is that they hold now,” he said.
Mr Tudge has been on leave since December, with Stuart Robert serving as acting Education Minister, and plans to recontest his suburban Melbourne seat of Aston at the May 21 election.
A spokesman for Mr Morrison on Sunday said Mr Tudge’s ministerial salary was stopped on December 2, and he wasn’t performing any of his ministerial functions.
“His former office and staff are assisting Minister Robert to administer the portfolio,” the spokesman said.
In a statement last month, Mr Morrison’s office said an inquiry by former inspector-general of intelligence, Dr Vivienne Thom, found the evidence before it “does not provide a basis for a finding that Mr Tudge’s conduct breached the Ministerial Standards”.
Mr Morrison said Mr Tudge had “informed me that in the interests of his family and his own wellbeing, and in order to focus on his re-election as the member for Aston, he is not seeking to return to the frontbench, and I support his decision”.
Mr Tudge’s Facebook posts since late December have been prolific, promoting government announcements and grants made to local community groups in his electorate, including several video announcements.
On Sunday Mr Tudge took to social media to spruik his candidacy and the government’s credentials: “I hope to earn your support at the upcoming election.”
Asked to confirm during his election press conference on Sunday morning whether all current ministers would keep their jobs should the Coalition be returned to government, Mr Morrison replied, “I’m taking my team forward at the election. They’re a proven team.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt is retiring from politics after 20 years.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
He was also asked whether voting Australians would know who their new Health Minister would be if the Coalition returned, given Greg Hunt is retiring from politics.
“Absolutely, they will know that fairly soon over the course of the next week or so,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Hunt announced in December he would not be contesting the upcoming poll after having led Australia’s pandemic response, ending a 20-year career in Parliament and almost nine years as a cabinet minister.
Mr Albanese seized on this, describing it as “embarrassing” for the Prime Minister. “He has Greg Hunt leaving, he was the Health Minister during a pandemic. And he is leaving the Parliament,” he said.
“The Prime Minister cannot say who the Health Minister will be.”
Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.
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