‘People just don’t care’: Barnaby Joyce says it’s time to move on from Scott Morrison’s portfolio saga

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has claimed that Australians “just don’t care” about former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s secret portfolio saga.

Despite widespread criticism from the country and his colleagues, Joyce told Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr that “Australian people don’t quite get all this”.

‘It wasn’t a matter of staying quiet’

Ahead of the solicitor-general’s report on the Scott Morrison secret portfolio scandal, Barnaby Joyce has defended his actions on Sunrise.#Sunriseon7 pic.twitter.com/TLEhDj7qYf

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) August 21, 2022

Joyce defended Morrison, saying that the former leader of Australia’s actions were “not illegal”.

“We are hyperventilating about something that, to be quite frank, is not illegal. You mightn’t like it but it’s not illegal,” Joyce said.

“At the same time, we have people who are struggling with their grocery bill, their fuel bills, their electricity bills.

“He hasn’t done anything illegal and this is really important. He was entitled to do what he did, and he did it.”

Despite Joyce’s claims that no one cares, calls for Morrison to resign over his secret appointment to the Health, Treasury, Home Affairs, Resources, and Finance portfolios have grown exponentially from both fellow politicians and members of the public.

I don’t want my tax payer dollars paying @ScottMorrisonMP’s salary for even one more day. He simply must resign. #auspol #Insiders

— Fleur H (@fleurification) August 20, 2022

Swearing in of then PM Scott Morrison to multiple portfolios without him informing cabinet colleagues, parliament or the Australian public was a grotesque subversion of democracy. It was so dismissive of his duty to voters, Karen Andrews is right..he must resign from Parliament.

— NickMcCallum7 (@NickMcCallum7) August 16, 2022

Scott Morrison must resign now.

6 times to be safe please.

— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) August 16, 2022

The former PM has claimed his actions were “necessary” to allow him the opportunity to “act in the national interests”, and has joined in on the joke of his “job-hoarding”, poking fun at the situation himself.

While the portfolio saga may be all fun and jokes to Morrison, the Australian public has been left unimpressed by his behaviour, slamming the politician for not taking his job seriously.

“You think the running of this country is a joke. Have some humility and say you made a mistake. We don’t need US-style gloating about how badly you behaved in office,” one person wrote on Facebook.

“I supported you, what you did isn’t transparent and doesn’t pass the pub test. From a quiet Australian.”

“I can’t believe that you actually think this is a laughing matter. You really have no shame do you,” said another.

“So instead of taking responsibility for abusing your power as prime minister you decide to make a joke out of it. This simply shows a lack of accountability and arrogance on a very serious situation.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to release legal advice on how to handle the portfolio saga.