Prime Minister Scott Morrison has built a reputation for being a liar and a hypocrite, with his lies now causing tensions between foreign partners.
Back in 2019, managing editor Michelle Pini pointed out ten reasons why Scott Morrison is unfit to lead and needs to be voted out as soon as possible.
UNLIKE the great trickle-down wealth myth, a fish generally does rot from the head down. This explains why, in Australia, the calibre of members of parliament has been steadily declining since Tony Abbott took over the fish tank back in 2013.
While the Liberal Party leadership has changed twice since then, things have only gotten worse. You see, if it’s true that Malcolm Turnbull was elected simply for not being Tony Abbott, then it’s deadset indisputable that Scott Morrison now leads the Liberal Party simply because he ain’t Peter Dutton.
Although there is no doubt that Morrison’s “daggy dad” persona is completely confected fantasy, in many ways, this idea of Morrison as “average” or “moderate” has stuck.
One of the chief reasons for this is that ever since the name “Peter Dutton” started being thrown around as a serious leadership (and therefore prime ministerial) contender, Morrison began to seem like a small ‘l’ Liberal. And let’s face it, when compared to Herr Dutton, few could seem more extreme.
But extreme, in almost every right-wing way possible, is exactly what Morrison is. And many continue to underestimate him. In fact, while he may have produced one of the worst tourism campaigns ever, our current PM possesses one extremely important marketing skill in a politician: he stays on message.
As anyone in advertising or marketing will tell you, the message needs to be consistent and repeated often. And, while there is no denying that many of Morrison’s underlying aims may be heinous, “ScoMo” never deviates from his marketing message, right down to his own choice of nickname. The take-home is: I’m a daggy dad, an unfashionable church-goer and a “fair dinkum” middle of the road guy — a safe bet.
And Morrison sticks to the script, regardless of the occasion or political scandal he may be facing. This, then, conveys an idea of what he is not: a complete nutjob like Abbott, a slick toff like Turnbull and, most importantly, an evil dictator like Dutton.
However, like many ad campaigns, there is no substance behind the spin. And this is why, when it boils right down, ScoMo – or "ScoMao" as he was dubbed this week – makes lots of soothing noises and says pretty much anything he thinks we want to hear, such as the concept of "a fair go", which Australians hold dear.
Morrison’s actions, however, only deliver favouritism to his fellow right-wing mates and make a mockery of the notion of equality.
Here is a short and by no means conclusive list of examples where the opposite of a fair go is the reality.
1. THE RACIST CARD
Morrison denied referring to former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari as "Shangai Sam" despite using the term 17 times. He has continued to suggest that Labor's calling for Member for Chisholm Gladys Liu to give one straight answer about where her loyalties lie, then, must be due to the fact that she is of Chinese origin and thus, racist.
Yes, Gladys Liu’s links with Beijing may have been investigated by ASIO, her fondness for relaxing foreign ownership laws might well be a conflict of interest and there is a possibility that she may be a Chinese spy but, hey, she managed to contribute around a million dollars to the Liberal Party and also the Coalition only has a two-seat majority, so it can’t be that bad, surely?
2. THE ANTI-SEMITIC CARD
Sure, the Treasurer may be a dual citizen, but unlike everyone else who had to resign under s44 dual citizenship legislation (Scott Ludlam, Larissa Waters and others), Josh is Jewish so, these suggestions are just anti-Semitic, according to the PM.
3. THE CLIMATE CHANGE ENTHUSIAST
Of course, I believe in manmade climate change, I’m not a climate denier — that would be “ludicrous”. And we will meet our Paris climate commitments in a canter.
But Scott’s merry band of climate deniers includes (among others) all the ministers charged with making decisions that impact climate change: Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud, Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley, Former Special Envoy for Drought Assistance and Recovery Barnaby Joyce and Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan. Like their “fearless” coal-toting leader, all of these ministers have now professed to “believing” in manmade climate change.
However, their actions directly contradict this hollow statement:
- visiting decimated bushfire regions to “help” but allowing the rivers to be bled dry and the environment to be crushed by a handful of giant cotton growers;
- investment in new coal;
- ignoring Pacific Islander pleas;
- backing the Adani coal mine;
- refusing to put a price on emissions;
- revisiting nuclear power;
- telling kids striking against inaction on climate change to be "less activist";
- not investing in renewables;
- not bothering to turn up to the UN Climate Summit; and
- blocking Lord Howe Island’s wind turbines, forcing it to rely on diesel.
4. RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS, FOR SOME
Morrison – himself a Pentecostal Christian – has championed the pointless, bordering on comical, “religious freedom” legislation, which seeks to give special rights to those who refer to themselves as religious to say whatever they like to whomever they like, while not extending the same “freedom" of speech for their non-denominational counterparts.
5. MARRIAGE IS FOR HETEROS
Morrison vehemently campaigned for the “No” side in the postal survey on marriage equality, on the basis of protecting “religious freedom” — in this case, the right of religious people to be openly homophobic without consequence.
Morrison then said that he had been the victim of "quite dreadful hate speech and bigotry" akin to that experienced by LGBT+ people, due to his opposition to marriage equality.
6. WE NEED A FAMILY COURT INQUIRY
Though it is unclear where this idea sprung from, the so-called “minister for love” – but only if it's love between heterosexual married people, of course – Member for Menzies Kevin Andrews, has been appointed by Morrison to run the new inquiry into family law.
Andrews, who famously compared gay marriage to friendship with his cycling mates, says he just wants relationships to be “stable” — unlike his faculties, clearly.
7. DON'T GET IN OUR WAY!
Control, bordering on tyranny over anyone who stands in the Government’s way has been a constant feature of this Coalition Government.
Whistleblowers like Julian Assange or Witness K and his lawyer Collaery, showing the media who's boss by instigating AFP raids on journalists, persecuting unions and implementing legislation to allow the Government to spy on its own citizens, all illustrate the lengths to which the Government is willing to go to avoid scrutiny.
8. CORPORATIONS RULE
Scott Morrison consistently ridiculed the need for a banking royal commission and voted against it 28 times. Since the final report in February, he has proceeded to largely ignore its 56 key recommendations.
9. PESKY ASYLUM SEEKERS
On the subject of refugees, Morrison has truly excelled in showing no lack of compassion whatsoever, as this excerpt from an earlier IA report shows:
- ScoMo called into question the cost to Australia of asylum-seekers, held on Christmas Island, attending funerals of loved ones who died in a shipwreck off Sydney's coast. He then apologised for the "timing" of his remarks, which were made on the day the funerals were taking place.
- Peter Dutton may have taken it to another level, but it was Morrison, the then Minister for Immigration, who presided over the beginning of the "stop the boats" policy, turning back asylum seekers fleeing murderous regimes from ever reaching Australia.
- He also instigated the ensuing secrecy by refusing to update the country about "on-water" matters by announcing we would be advised only on an “as-needs basis”.
- Morrison cast doubt over the tragic death of asylum seeker Reza Barati, falsely claiming the riot responsible for his death, which was instigated by PNG locals and prison guards, was caused by refugees.
- When reports of children self-harming on Nauru first surfaced, it was Morrison who responded by suggesting that Save the Children workers were making false claims – and even coaching children to self-harm – in order to undermine the Government.
- Cabinet documents evince that then Minister for Immigration Morrison first asked his Department to advise how asylum seekers could be prevented from ever receiving asylum, before deciding to intervene in ASIO's security procedures and delay security checks for 700 asylum seekers back in 2013, until visa provisions could be tightened.
10. A FAIR GO
Perhaps most telling is the Morrison Government’s attitude to the needy.
Here are a few areas where the reverse of a fair go is the reality for our most vulnerable:
- categorically refusing to raise Newstart;
- hounding the poor for fictitious "Robodebts";
- introducing the controlling and demeaning cashless welfare "Indue" card;
- pretending job figures are improving by counting people working under ten hours per week as “employed” because omitting these people would reveal the rate to be 9.5 per cent, instead of 5 per cent; and
- engineering the PaTH program, which allows employers to exploit young job-seekers without consequence.
The Morrison Government may look average and even shiny on the surface but in reality, it is more like the sludge that slowly builds up at the bottom of the aquarium, until nothing but a complete cleanout will do.
You can follow managing editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @vmp9. Also, follow Independent Australia on Twitter @independentaus and on Facebook HERE, and in the new IA subscriber-only Facebook page HERE.
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