Amid mounting pressure on Scott Morrison, opposition leader Peter Dutton says there is an expectation that former prime ministers either leave Parliament or serve a full term.
Mr Dutton has repeatedly been asked for his view on the future of Mr Morrison in the wake of the damning robodebt royal commission finding that he, as social services minister, had "allowed cabinet to be misled" when the unlawful system of welfare debt collection was introduced.
Mr Morrison has rejected the adverse findings as wrong and "unsubstantiated," but there are growing calls, including from inside the Liberal party, for him to leave Parliament where he sits on the backbench as the federal member for Cook. He is currently overseas on holiday and he has been reportedly scouting for a post-parliamentary job.
The Opposition Leader is not urging Mr Morrison's political departure. He said on Thursday that such a decision would be "ultimately for the individual."
"I think it's Scott's decision as to whether he stays or goes. He's a good representative for his local community. And he'll make the decision that's right for him," Mr Dutton told Sydney radio 2GB.
Mr Dutton said the presumption of innocence must be maintained and has pointed to Mr Morrison's "refuting" of royal commission findings.
"He has pointed out that it's contrary to some of the evidence that was given. Now that can be tested," he said.
Speaking generally, the Liberal leader said if the wrong thing has been done and there's a finding of guilt, "then you should be held to account for that and answer it and cop the penalty."
But as for Mr Morrison's position in Parliament, Mr Dutton quickly shifted to using former Labor prime ministers as an example.
"I think, as has been the case with Kevin Rudd or Julia Gillard or any of his predecessors, the prime ministers past have a special place in the Parliament and there's an expectation that people will either serve out their full term or go to a by-election depending on the circumstances," he said.
"My judgement has always been for former prime ministers to pay them respect and do that wherever it's possible. Sometimes people like [Paul] Keating, sort of push the boundaries a little bit which makes it hard to give them that respect.
"I think for people who have served their country as prime minister, as will be the case for [Anthony] Albanese, I hope, after the next election. If we win the election then the expectation is that he would go to a by-election or he would serve his full term and ... that's really then a judgement for him."
Other former ministers responsible for robodebt, Alan Tudge and Stuart Robert, have quit Parliament.
The Aston by-election in April resulted in the election of Labor's Mary Doyle, while voters in Mr Robert's former Gold Coast seat of Fadden head to the polls on Saturday.
