Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking legal advice into revelations that former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly swore himself in as resources minister in order to kill-off the controversial PEP-11 offshore gas exploration project.
The project, which sought to explore for gas between Sydney and Newcastle, was quickly emerging as a liability in a number of marginal seats contested by climate conscious teal independents.
Mr Morrison announced in February he would move to axe the project.
"After careful consideration, the Government has taken, through my own decision, the first step to formally reject an application for the Petroleum Export Permit, known as PEP-11," the Prime Minister told reporters in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast," Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison's intervention blindsided former resources minister Keith Pitt, who had expressed support for the project.
Mr Morrison was also secretly sworn in as finance minister and health minister at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking Monday, Mr Albanese described the reported swearing-ins as "extraordinary and unprecedented."
"Scott Morrison was running a shadow government. This is the sort of tin-pot activity that we would ridicule if it was in a non-democratic country," he said.
"We do have a non-presidential system of government in this country, but what we had from Scott Morrison is a centralization of power, is overriding of ministerial decisions, and all done in secret."
Shortland MP Pat Conroy, who the Labor Party's campaign against the project said the extraordinary revelations showed that Mr Morrision's "arrogance and obsession with power knew no limits."
"Mr Morrison clearly knew what he was doing was dodgy otherwise he wouldn't have kept it secret from Australians and blindsided his colleagues," he said.
"The previous government left our community in limbo for almost 12 months over the future of PEP-11, and now we know why.
"My thoughts on the PEP-11 project are well known, and my position has not changed. This matter is now with the courts and they will make their decision. I won't prejudge that decision by making further comment."
Founder and director Save Our Coast Natasha Deen, said Mr Morrison's said the desperate lengths that Mr Morrision took to kill PEP-11 reflected the level of community opposition towards the project.
"This was a project that not only posed a major threat to the environment but also the wellbeing and livelihoods of those living along the coast," Dr Deen said.
"It would have been obvious to Mr Morrision that this project was going to cost large numbers of votes."
Asset Energy head David Breeze told the Newcastle Herald last week that the project was still needed and that each proposed project should be judged on its own merits.
On Monday a spokesman said gas exploration offshore Newcastle should be part of the solution to the east coast energy crisis.
"Our project has the potential to supply 20 years' worth of gas for NSW and we have committed to inject all of our produced gas into the domestic market," he said.
"Natural gas will play a critical role in supporting the energy transition, while also underpinning the state's manufacturing industries and other commercial activity. Business NSW estimates 250,000 jobs in NSW rely upon gas as a feedstock and energy source."
