Their job is to know other people's secrets, but not even Australia's top spooks knew about Scott Morrison's five hidden portfolios.
In an astonishing twist to the former prime minister's ministerial moonlighting, the ABC can reveal the country's most senior intelligence operatives were also kept in the dark over his clandestine power grab.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the powerful Home Affairs Department was among five additional portfolios his predecessor secretly took control of during the past two years.
At the time of Mr Morrison's hidden power grab, the home affairs minister had responsibility for immigration, cyber security policy, the Australian Federal Police and domestic intelligence agency ASIO.
Head of department unaware
The ABC has confirmed Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo was never informed that the prime minister had also been sworn into the portfolio in May 2021, alongside existing minister Karen Andrews.
Other senior intelligence figures, including ASIO director-general Mike Burgess, were unaware until this week that, up to election day, they had officially also been directly reporting to the former prime minister as part of his expanded ministerial roles.
"We had no idea that Scott Morrison was actually our minister. It's come as quite a surprise," one veteran member of the intelligence community told the ABC.
Earlier this year, the ABC revealed Mr Morrison controversially instructed the Home Affairs Department to publicise the interception of a suspected asylum seeker boat on election day, against previous government practice.
Election day boat reveal
Last month, a Home Affairs inquiry ordered by the Albanese government confirmed the office of Scott Morrison had instructed the boat arrival be made public, but it has since emerged the former prime minister also phoned then-home affairs minister Karen Andrews to make the demand.
On Tuesday, current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the controversial election-day announcement while revealing the full extent of Mr Morrison's secret ministerial takeovers.
"We've asked questions about the role of the then-minister for home affairs, and the announcement by the person we thought was just the prime minister, but we know was also responsible for administering the Department of Home Affairs during that shocking breach of government policy," he said.
Ms Andrews is now leading calls from inside the Liberal Party for Mr Morrison to resign from federal parliament for "disgraceful behaviour".
"It actually diminishes him, but it also undermines and just diminishes the cabinet at the time," Ms Andrews told the ABC.
"If this is the way that he is prepared to conduct himself, without an adequate explanation — even though it is now going to be well past the time when such an explanation should have been made — then it is time for him to leave the parliament and look elsewhere for employment."
