We are paying Scott Morrison $527K to essentially run a caretaker government

This barely legitimate government is forcing Australia to wait until May to remove them from office. We should have an election now

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
“This is sadly another example of politicians in the Liberal Party putting themselves first and everyone else second.” Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/EPA

Scott Morrison’s barely legitimate government is forcing Australia to wait until May to remove them from office. But why? It is clear from the polls Australians have had enough. So why, again, are they acting irresponsibly?

The current situation is untenable.

The minister for home affairs’ right to sit in the parliament is in question, throwing into doubt every decision he’s made as immigration minister, affecting thousands of people’s lives.

Angus Taylor, the new energy minister, also faces questions around whether he’s entitled to sit in parliament, calling into question any contract he might sign for new energy projects or worse, coal plants.

In parliament the government’s already all but lost control of the legislative agenda. When parliament returns this government will walk into a storm.

The election of Kerryn Phelps gave the crossbench of minor parties and independents sufficient weight to push their own concerns. In the last weeks of parliament we saw movement on a number of unresolved issues Australians care deeply about, from climate change, offshore detention, live animal exports and an integrity commission.

This is a caretaker government which seems to be clinging to power with no agenda other than playing for time and only a determination to keep power for power’s sake. This is sadly another example of politicians in the Liberal party putting themselves first and everyone else second.

Without an election we are forced to pay this caretaker government, with caretaker ministers, a record $350,000 a year each while the prime minister earns $527,000. There’s no justification for this delay. Given their loss is certain, anything they do from here is a waste of time and therefore a waste of taxpayer money. Unlike other departing governments this “surprise” Morrison government is not established. It is staffed by “L-plate” ministers and is in turmoil.

It’s well beyond time that the Liberal party moves into opposition and begins the important process of comprehensive reform. The Liberal party know this as their own internal polling has confirmed their wipeout. It’s so bad in Victoria that the party looks like losing all but two of its seats. In Tasmania the party is on track to have no seats, and in New South Wales it won’t be much better.

Facing this certain demise and loss of funding, the federal Liberal party’s solvency is a question especially when voters realise that a first-preference vote for the Liberals is a donation of $2.70 to the party. I can’t see even traditional Liberals thinking this government deserves $2.70 for what they have achieved over the last three years, and instead voters will search to put their first-preference vote somewhere else to send a clear message.

The problem is deep. The party is in need of desperate cultural reform. It is beset by claims of bullying, intimidation and factionalism, which are preventing it even agreeing with itself.

Under these conditions our economy and our nation is paralysed. How can anyone invest, or make confident decisions about the future? How can you decide to take on more employees, or start a major new project, when the government is in flux? If the government cared about our national interest it would bring the election forward.

The Liberal party has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the Australian people. The prime minister should start the process of regaining trust by calling the election and put our national interests first.

It’s time to let the people’s voice be heard, even if you don’t like what they’ve got to say.

  • Oliver Yates is a member of the Liberal party and former chief executive of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation