David Hurley had 'no reason' to expect Scott Morrison secrecy, Greens mull privileges committee probe

In a statement late on Wednesday, Governor-General David Hurley's office said he had "no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated" to the public.

"The Governor-General signs an instrument to act on the advice of the government of the day. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is responsible for that process," the statement said.

The Greens are accusing Mr Morrison of a "brutal attack" on Australian democracy, and considering advice over whether to refer him to the parliamentary privileges committee.

Mr Morrison on Wednesday rejected calls for him to leave parliament, some coming from within his own party, over revelations he secretly took control of five departments in 2020 and 2021.

He claimed there was an expectation the prime minister took responsibility for everything during the crisis.

"I believed it was necessary to have authority to have what [were] effectively emergency powers ... to enable me to act in the national interest, and that is what I did in a crisis," he told reporters in Sydney.

Mr Morrison rejected suggestions he had deceived his colleagues, claiming that he used his covert powers on just one occasion proved he trusted his ministers.

He argued that revealing the appointments to the relevant ministers could have undermined their confidence in conducting their own jobs.

"I did not consider that to be in the country's interest," he said.

"I did what I thought was necessary in the national interest to ensure the government continued to perform well."

But he also suggested he believed then-finance minister Mathias Cormann, who was not aware his portfolio had been co-opted, had been informed during "communication between offices".

Mr Morrison described criticism of Governor-General David Hurley, who oversaw the secret appointments, as "egregious".

Mr Albanese will receive advice from the Solicitor General over the matter on Monday, and Governor-General Hurley said he was "content" to let the process play out.

His office said recommendations on the appointment of minister to have "administrative responsibilities" over a department were made in writing by the prime minister, and not considered by the Federal Executive Council.

"The Governor-General had no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated," the statement said.

Governor-General Hurley has consistently argued whether to make the appointments public was a matter for the government.

He said he would make no further comment on the matter.

Mr Albanese earlier on Wednesday stressed he had no problems with the Governor-General's conduct.

He claimed Mr Morrison's press conference showed his character "on full display", saying Cook voters would "want something a bit better" than their current MP.

"The first rule of power-grab club is don't talk about power-grab club, and Scott Morrison broke that rule today," he said.

"Scott Morrison was evasive, he was defensive, he was passive-aggressive, and of course he was self-serving. So at least he was true to himself today.

"[He] couldn't remember the fact he had been appointed to administer the treasury portfolio? And the home affairs portfolio? I mean, give me a break."

Mr Albanese took aim at Coalition leader Peter Dutton for "sitting there" as Mr Morrison set a "slippery slope" in motion.

"Peter Dutton said very clearly that basically everybody should just move on, it was nothing to see here. We just had a shadow government operate, but ask me questions about something else, please," he said.

The Greens have received initial advice from the Clerk's office over whether Mr Morrison's conduct could be investigated as a contempt of parliament.

Greens integrity spokesman David Shoebridge rejected the former prime minister's claim he was neither a co-minister or minister in the additional portfolios.

"Mr Morrison can make whatever arguments he likes. The law is determined by the signed instruments of the Governor-General, and they have a certain black and white power of truth to them," he told The Canberra Times.

The parliamentary privileges committee, responsible for disciplining parliamentarians, can investigate potential instances of contempt or privileges breaches referred to it.

Sessions are not held in public as the committee compiles its report.

Senator Shoebridge said whether parliament would be willing to act on potential contempt would be revealed when it sits next month.

"This isn't an academic exercise. This was an assault on some of the core conventions and norms that hold our democracy together," he said.

"The actions of the former Prime Minister occurred in secret, and in relation to some of the most important positions in our democracy.

"Placing that power secretly in the hands of the prime minister was a pretty brutal attack on our democracy."

Independent MP Zali Steggall said Mr Morrison's performance on Wednesday showed he "still doesn't understand transparency".

"Today we saw more spin and secrecy from Scott Morrison. It's like Groundhog Day for the journalists trying to extract answers from the former prime minister," she said.

Mr Dutton on Wednesday distanced himself from Mr Morrison, labelling his behaviour as "wrong" but insisting Australians were focused on other issues.

But he stopped short of joining Coalition frontbencher Karen Andrews in calling for Mr Morrison to go.

Liberal MP Stuart Robert, a long-time Morrison ally, said while there was no need for his former boss to resign, the secret appointments were "unwise".

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Mr Robert said cabinet would have told Mr Morrison there was "no need" for the secret intervention.

"There's no question that Scott Morrison always believed he was doing the best by the country. This wasn't some adverse grab for power, this was making sure that the nation could govern in inexplicable times," he told Sky News.

Liberal senator Gerard Rennick, a critic of lockdowns and mandates during the previous Coalition government, described the covert expansion of Mr Morrison's power as an extension of a culture that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was clearly overreach, but he never really used that overreach," he told The Canberra Times.

"The bigger issue for me is national cabinet running around and pushing out federal cabinet. That national cabinet is an executive without a parliament. I find that very dodgy as well."