In one ‘phantom’ committee the one and only ghost who walks is Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Labor calls that an ‘abuse of process’.
Over the years, governments have gone to great lengths to exploit cabinet-in-confidence rules to bury damaging information. Trolleys of documents have been wheeled into cabinet rooms; rogue documents stapled to the back of cabinet papers. But the Coalition stands accused of taking things much further, creating “phantom” cabinet committees for the sole purpose of enshrining government business in secrecy.
Cabinet committees are in the spotlight again after it was revealed the government was attempting to block the release of Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) secretary Phil Gaetjens’ report into the sports rorts by claiming it was sent to the so-called governance committee of cabinet, and therefore entitled to cabinet confidentiality.
But what is the governance committee and why was the report sent there?
How many members does one cabinet committee have? Keep reading.
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