In what’s been a busy week in Australian federal politics, ScoMo finally announced he would be leaving the parliamentary building, just as Albo undid one of his predecessor’s signature policies (or land mines) by reworking the Stage 3 tax cuts, creating hysteria among Liberals and the mainstream media, and some relief for those Australians earning less than $200,000 a year.
Scott Morrison used to tell interviewers he wasn’t interested in leaving a legacy, but Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor was having none of that this week, naming AUKUS as his old boss’s major contribution (never mind that the Australian public were not asked what they thought about it, just told in a press conference), along with getting the country through COVID and tax reform.
Less heralded legacies include delivering major blows to Australia’s relationships with France, China, and the Pacific, along with trust in politicians and the truth in general, but with ScoMo’s tax reforms now being undone, subject to what happens in parliament, and his activities during COVID a very mixed blessing, according to both public and premiers, AUKUS and its associated $368 billion American military submarine contracts are pretty much all that’s still standing from this prime minister’s time in office, which is why Mr Morrison’s new job is so fitting.
Through the international revolving door
It seems Scotty from Marketing won’t be spending more time with his family, as previously advertised, or becoming a curry expert on Master Chef, or a ukelele instructor, or a cap salesman.
Instead he’ll be taking up a role as non-Executive Vice Chairman of American Global Strategies, a ’boutique strategic advisory firm’ with international expertise in ‘crisis management’ and strong links to the American defence (arms) industry.
The chairman of this outfit is a former Donald Trump lackey and naval enthusiast named Robert O’Brien. With Morrison’s old mate Trump eyeing a return to the White House, the whole thing looks a lot like payment for his part in engineering the massive military deal with the United States. As Michael West put it, ‘he’s off to flog a few missiles and go to lunch.’
Never happy with one job at a time, as Australia learned too late, Scott Morrison will also be joining Trump-era Secretary of State and former CIA director Mike Pompeo as a strategic advisor with DYNE Maritime, a venture capital company which invests in technologies associated with the AUKUS deal.
Greens defence spokesman, Senator David Shoebridge, said last week, ‘Morrison is leaving politics only to grab his very unfair share of the billions of dollars of public money that he has shovelled into AUKUS.’
Luckily for Scott Morrison, Christopher Pyne, and the rest of them, there’s still no law against using the most inappropriate revolving door imaginable.
ScoMo, the man once described as a ‘complete psycho’ by Gladys Berejiklian was awarded a prestigious honour, the American legion of merit, by Donald Trump in 2020 for ‘leadership in addressing global challenges’, which should place him nicely if the former president is re-elected in November.
The same can’t be said for another former Australian prime minister, our ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd.
Domestic ramifications
The people of Morrison’s electorate of Cook, in southern Sydney’s fabled Shire, who have a history of electing Liberals no matter who they are or what they do, now have the chance to consider alternatives in a forthcoming by-election. The margin there is 12.4 per cent.
They join the residents of Dunkley, who also face a by-election soon to replace the popular ALP member who died last year, Peta Murphy. The margin there is 6.3 per cent.
Despite all the other issues at play, both by-elections will be treated as referendums on the recent tax changes. If there’s a swing to Labor, Peter Dutton’s entire strategy will be in doubt. If there’s a strong swing in the other direction, Anthony Albanese’s prime ministership will come under a greater shadow.
As for ScoMo, the great survivor, he will be smirking somewhere whatever happens, as he was for most of his political tenure, from his dodgy beginnings in Cook, when he displaced popular Lebanese-Australian candidate Michael Towke using racist lies, to his cruelty towards asylum seekers as immigration minister, to the height of his popularity with his ‘get a go’ daggy dad posturing, to his telling Australians they shouldn’t expect to receive the aged pension, to his forcing traumatised fire victims to shake his hand, to Hawaii, and to his unseemly departure from the federal scene.
ScoMo was a politician and prime minister who always prioritised style over substance. In the end there was zero substance, and very little style either.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning film-maker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
Long ago, he did work experience in Parliament House with Mungo MacCallum.
Albo booed at the Australian Open men’s
final ..very embarrassing for not only himself
and his huge ego… but for the country in general….Morrison was the only other
Prime Minister booed at the Cricket a few years ago
That i can recall in my lifetime…! Gone the following year.. good riddance.. Morrison was a abject failure..this country certainly deserves
better Prime Minister’s.. and Albo is in a league
Of his own along with his climate change Minister
Who Promised cheaper electricity.. the labor party
Are just one big inner-city latte sipping elites..
Who are not at one with the average Australian
They may think they are ..as his Partner may
Have thought as well before being booed
at the Australian Open men’s final.. truth hurts.
as for Trump ..fact …if Hunter Bidens laptop
Information had been released and not suppressed
By the Biden administration.. Biden would not be the President.. we must preserve democracy
The democrats suggest ? what has taken place
Regarding Trump running for the next President is
Beyond belief.. Communist China & Russia
Could not have done better to suppress it’s
Political opponents.. this has been the biggest
Political witch-hunt in Americas political history
all done to conserve Democracy or not !
You’re not a fan of Scotty any more Barrow? I don’t think Albo should worry too much about being booed at the AO. When tickets to the men’s final coast a grand or more, I don’t think there would be too many there happy with has happened to Scotty’s largesse.
The AO crowd, a couple of years ago, booed a reference to the vaccines while the Wimbledon crowd gave a standing ovation to the developers of Astra Zeneca – special guests in the royal box. Not the sharpest knives in the drawer.
Remember too that Albo was also booed at Bluesfest a few weeks before he won the ‘22 election.
Always been a swinging voter Lizardbreath..
a vote from me is a vote for the betterment
Of the country, regardless of the political
Party i support.. ! Morrison was very selfish
Indeed and his party were certainly aware
Of this trait.. big Ego which never did sit well with the constituents..very similar in
My humble opinion to Rudd.. Who incidentally will struggle to keep his plum role gifted by his mate albo in the US
If Trump is elected…Rudd has been scathing
Of the former President as many have the world over…what gos around comes around !
Lizardbreath as the Grand a Pop for the AO
Final seats..you and i paid for albo and his partner to enjoy the festivities…certainly
Enjoying the perks that comes being PM..
Albo it would seem forgets were he came from as we are all constantly reminded of
Regarding his housing commission upbringing by a single mother ..lost his way somewhat with his rockstar lifestyle..
Lizardbreath that has not sat well with
The constituents..as they say first year to find your feet ..second year objective ? Not to break election promises…third year campaigning…Lizardbreath labor have become elitist..once a party for the workers
Not anymore..Sad really ..
Somehow I’m guessing your vote has not swung Labor’s way too often. And when you’re deciding what’s best for the nation, you need to inform yourself a bit further than sky after dark.
I reckon you’ll find that Albo and partner were guests of Tennis Australia, along with a range of dignitaries. There are a range of such expectations of PM’s and not all have to be drudgery.
What’s the rock star existence? Travelling OS smoothing out the bloody mess the last lot made of foreign diplomacy, restoring the odd market with our biggest trading partner …?
Of all the Labor leaders in my memory, I’d have to say Rudd was my least favourite. And Barrow, are you really hinting that you’re a Trump fan?
Barrow, you all over the shop here, take a breather and re-gather your thoughts and stay ‘on-piste’ with the subject of…. Scotty – where Tennis, Biden, China, Russia have come from is mystifying.
‘Bulldozer Scotty’, effectively he’s been holidaying on the backbench since Election22, no doubt enjoying some catchup family time with Jen and the girls.
It’s taken him this long to land a new gig, no-one until now wanting him and as the pusher of that despicable monster, RoboRobberyDebt, it is a wonder that his papers aren’t stamped as, “Do not touch under any circumstances’.
Well said
It’s so sickening what he gets away with.
No legacy – don’t be stupid. Whilst Tony Abbott (great man) came up with the phrase “Stop the Boats”. It was Scott Morrison, in the role of Immigration Minister that implemented it and stopped the boats, and with that, the deaths – a great legacy
Yep & proved himself a heartless opportunist racist. Good riddance.
His other legacies include his aversion to truth despite his gospel preachings & his reverse Midas touch….
He will be judged with Abbott as the two worst ever PMs
“….and stopped the boats, and with that, the deaths – a great legacy”.
You’ll need to explain that.
Try reading some facts;
https://www.monash.edu/arts/border-crossing-observatory
AUSTRALIAN BORDER DEATHS DATABASE
Annual report on border-related deaths, 2020
Border Crossing Research Brief No. 18
March, 2021
And David Lowe, what will your legacy be?, I suggest you will be remembered as one of the greatest lefty green bullshitters on the planet. Go organise a protest about that !…