Scott Morrison defends embattled aged care minister against ‘knockers’ amid cricket scandal

Scott Morrison has backed the embattled aged care minister despite saying he can "understand the criticism" of Richard Colbeck, who attended the Ashes cricket match in Hobart on the same day he failed to front a parliamentary inquiry into the Covid crisis.

The finance minister, Simon Birmingham, also defended Colbeck on Friday, saying people could "walk and chew gum at the same time". He noted the aged care minister - who is also the sport minister - had held Covid meetings earlier in the day before attending the Test match a fortnight ago.

The prime minister told 4BC radio: "During the course of that week, I'm aware he [Colbeck] was doing not just issues that related to his sport minister [role] but he was having the regular contacts with the aged care sector, with the AHPPC [pandemic committee], all those things. Ministers have many responsibilities. I can understand the criticism."

Colbeck declined to attend the Senate Covid-19 committee on 14 January. He cited the need not to divert health department officials from their "urgent and critical" work but it was revealed this week he attended three days of the Hobart Test from Friday 14 January to Sunday 16 January.

His office said the minister had, on 14 January, met the head of the Covid vaccine rollout, Lt Gen John Frewen, the aged care quality and safety commissioner, the acting secretary of the health department and the deputy chief medical officer.

Morrison, in his first public comments on the scandal since it broke, said on Friday that Colbeck had appeared before the committee on "countless occasions". The 4BC host, Neil Breen, suggested Colbeck's actions nevertheless did not pass the "pub test".

"I think Richard has taken that on board - I have no doubt," the prime minister replied.