It’s been revealed that former prime minister Scott Morrison was secretly sworn-in as minister for several portfolios including health, finance, resources and home affairs during the early stages of the COVID pandemic.

All three portfolios already had a sitting minister in the role and it’s unclear exactly why Mr Morrison felt he needed the additional powers.

The powers would have allowed Mr Morrison to override the decisions of the appointed ministers.

In an interview with Ben Fordham on radio station 2GB, Mr Morrison defend the move, saying it was a necessary precaution during “unprecedented” times.

“We were dealing with an incredible amount of discretion and money being paid," Mr Morrison said.

"They were unprecedented times and as a result they were very unconventional times.

"They are very complex, detailed issues in governance … I put in place a set of arrangements that ensured all decisions could be made instantaneously. That is the real-time crisis we were dealing with."

Was the ex-PM right to do this at the time? Or is another example of government overreach?