Queensland's Energy Minister has raised questions about who approved a delay in releasing national energy prices until after the May election.
Mick De Brenni has criticised ex-prime minister Scott Morrison and former energy minister Angus Taylor about the amendment, which prevented the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) notifying the public of the new increased electricity prices before going to the polls.
"This is perhaps one of the biggest election deceptions that this nation may have ever seen," Mr De Brenni said.
In March 2022, Mr Taylor obtained the approval of the Governor-General to amend the regulations, meaning the AER's normal proclamation was not published before the nation went to the polls.
The amendment was signed by Mr Taylor on behalf of the treasurer — but it is presently unclear who played the treasurer's role.
It was revealed yesterday that, at the time of the amendment, Mr Morrison had secretly been sworn in as a second treasurer, without the knowledge of then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Mr Morrison was also a secret second energy minister.
The ABC has asked Mr Frydenberg whether Mr Taylor signed the amendment on his behalf, but he has yet to respond.
Mr Taylor has also been asked whether it was signed on behalf of Mr Frydenberg or Mr Morrison.
The ABC has contacted Mr Morrison for comment.
At a press conference this afternoon, Mr Morrison said he “didn’t intervene in one decision of the Treasurer”.
“To the best of my recollection, I didn’t exercise any override of any of the ministers in any of their agencies, except for the one that I’ve specified in relation to the resources portfolio.”
Mr de Brenni said the secrecy surrounding Mr Morrison's additional portfolios raised questions about whether the usual checks and balances, which are normally a fundamental part of the Westminster system of government, had been circumvented.
"Whilst Scott Morrison was asking the Governor-General to make him the minister for everything, Australia's industry and energy minister Angus Taylor was signing new regulations to hide electricity price increases until after the election day," he said.
"What we know, is that we can't even be sure who the treasurer or industry and energy minister was."
Before the election, Mr Morrison was also saying that electricity prices would skyrocket under Labor if they won at the federal election.
Last October, the AER advised the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to push the date of the price change to May 21 to provide the market with confidence that the AER's price determination was accurate.
In March, the amendment delayed the price change notification from May 1 to May 25.
In April, Scott Morrison called the federal election for May 21 — the day that was originally suggested by the AER for the release of the new price.
