Scott Morrison appointed himself as the director and sole shareholder of 10 shares in the company which is called Triginta Pty Ltd. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Amid the calls for his resignation and speculation about his future in politics, it has emerged that Scott Morrison has registered a private company.
The former prime minister has registered documents with the regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and appointed himself as the director and sole shareholder of 10 shares in the company which is called Triginta Pty Ltd.
Questions were put to Morrison’s electorate office about it, but so far it remains unclear what the private company will be and what purpose it will have.
Morrison registered the documents on 1 August and has 28 days to update his register of interest.
The name Triginta is Latin for 30 and is thought to be a possible reference to Morrison being the 30th Australian prime minister.
The news of the private company comes as calls come from within his own party to resign for his decision to appoint himself to five additional ministerial portfolios without telling the public or most of his cabinet.
He has apologised to colleagues for keeping them in the dark but has indicated his intention is to remain in parliament as the member for Cook and rebuffed the calls to resign coming from his own party.
“I understand the offence that some of my colleagues particularly have felt about this,” Morrison said.
“I understand that and I have apologised to them.
“But equally, as prime minister, only I could really understand the weight of responsibility that was on my shoulders and on no-one else.
“You are standing on the shore after the fact, I was steering the ship in the middle of the tempest.”
He also said that the fact cabinet ministers were unaware of his self-appointments proves he was not interfering.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking legal advice from the solicitor-general on the matter, which is expected to be delivered to him on Monday.
