We, citizens of Oz, have dodged a bullet. Hallelujah. It happened on Saturday 21 May 2022. Election day. On that day, Scott John Morrison, leader of the Liberal/National coalition, ceased to be Prime Minister of Australia.
Scott Morrison has the instincts of a populist dictator. Some have described him as Trump lite. His idea of government is not power exercised for the sake of the general good. Not power exercised for the sake of the Country. Not even power exercised for the sake of power itself. But power exercised for the sake of Morrison himself.
What a relief that we are rid of this disgraceful man.
Relief? What a stupendous relief that we now all feel in the marrow of our bones.
Disgrace? What an utter disgrace this man turned out to be.
The man was deceitful as only an evangelical Christian can be. He was corrupt, choosing to fund his own political advantage from the public purse at every opportunity. He was disdainful towards all bar himself, this trait manifesting itself as a perpetual and legendary smirk. Talk not action, spin not substance, lies not truth, political dogma not science, wedge politics not a quest for consensus, the point of the finger not the acceptance of responsibility: these were among his guiding principles. ‘Not my job’ became his mantra.
Though he lauded the democratic system with his words, he was a positive menace to such a system behind these words. Let me give you an example which shocked even me, no fan of the man at the best of times.
The occasion was a mass demonstration of mainly women outside Parliament House, Canberra, following a series of blatantly abusive and misogynistic incidents (including rape) that had occurred over time inside the House. Commenting on this public demonstration, Morrison spoke to the House:
‘This is a vibrant liberal democracy. Not far from here, such marches, even now, are being met with bullets. But not here in this country. This is a triumph of democracy when we see these things taking place.’
WTF? Is this a veiled threat? Is it an inadvertent disclosure by Morrison of his druthers? Or does it reflect the tinniest of tin ears?
I’d suggest you try all three. All three caps fit the man. I dread to think how our ‘vibrant liberal democracy’ would have been poised had he secured himself another term. That’s why I say to you: we have dodged a bullet.
We should thank all deities that we are rid of this man. In my judgement, he is the worst Prime Minister we have had since I, as a young pup, first started taking notice of the political antics being played out in the Canberra bubble. When I say ‘the worst’, that’s really saying something, because the bar has been pathetically low, especially over the last couple of decades.
And the manner of his going was sweet indeed. Poetic justice. This master of wedge politics, was wedged on three sides.
The Labor Party – formerly the ‘opposition’ – has achieved a slim majority in its own right, and will govern. The Greens, champions of the cause of climate action, have picked up valuable seats in both Houses. Independents, almost all of them outraged women, have stolen Morrison’s heartland seats, including that of Morrison’s presumed successor. The coalition this dreadful man once led no longer knows whether it’s Arthur or Martha.
It’s a rout to be remembered. Raise your glasses.