Opinion: Everyman politician Scott Morrison always puts family first

OUR NEW Prime Minister knows exactly what he stands for, and he has some rather big ideas for where our country should be heading, writes Renee Viellaris.

SCOTT Morrison has declared keeping families together will be a priority of his prime ministership and revealed the heartbreak of watching his father age – in part an inspiration for a royal commission into aged care.

In a wide-ranging interview with Insight, ScoMo – as he introduces himself to strangers – has outlined a vision for Queensland and how Australia can remain prosperous.

The new Prime Minister, who shows off a shrine to the Sharks rugby league team in his Canberra office proudly, has been described as exceptional in his ordinariness.

However, he has surprised his colleagues and Opposition since taking the top job almost one month ago.

PM Scott Morrison with his wife Jenny and their daughters Lily, 9, (left) and Abbey, 11, pictured in his old treasurer's office at Parliament House in Canberra. Pictures: Jonathan Ng

Unlike predecessor Malcolm Turnbull, there’s no pollie waffle. Morrison has sharpened his Government’s message while sharpening the political knives against Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

While commentators and some Labor members have said they do not know what Shorten stands for, the same could not be applied to Morrison.

The son of a copper is a regular of the Pentecostal Horizon Church, he is a married father of two, will not say things just because they are popular and can be abrupt as much as he can be kind.

Not all of his colleagues have loved him in the past, citing arrogance and being treated unfairly, but even those former detractors say they have been surprised at how well he has transitioned to PM.

One of the next tests will be tomorrow night when The Australian releases its Newspoll.

Expectations are rising he has started the clawback from political oblivion after Turnbull blew up his own leadership by calling a surprise spill.

The son of a copper is a regular of the Pentecostal Horizon Church, he is a married father of two, will not say things just because they are popular and can be abrupt as much as he can be kind.

WITHIN a month, Morrison has announced a royal commission, new laws in the wake of the strawberry-tampering crisis, signed off on a deal with the independent school sector, dumped a policy that would force people to work until they are 70 before they are eligible for the pension and ordered the NSW organisational wing to look at how it treats female politicians.

Another issue facing Morrison is Queensland. If an election were held today, the Government would not be able to duck and weave the proverbial baseball bat.

Morrison says he wants Queenslanders to get their mojo back and reckons he can deliver.

The language he uses is an indication of how he will try to keep the bloodied Coalition from peeling off and going rogue ahead of the next election.

He doesn’t use the word “my Government”. It pays tribute to past prime ministers Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, and enables him to own the economic success story of the past five years.

Scott Morrison’s father John Morrison, a retired policeman, and his mother Marion Morrison.

When asked what he would do to turn around his fortunes in Queensland, Morrison signals it is more about messaging and connecting to voters than dramatically changing policy gears.

“What we are demonstrating pretty quickly is, I think, a greater connectedness to where Queenslanders are at,’’ Morrison says.

“Queensland has always been a very go and get ‘em state. They’ve had a lot of entrepreneurs, that real pioneering spirit, and I think that’s been great, but in more recent times the economic challenges faced on the post downside of the mining boom, Queensland’s taken quite a hit, particularly the further north you go and the further west you go.

“And what I want to do is sort of fire Queensland up again. I want them to be able to go out there.

“The very things we are doing, whether it’s around small and family business, whether it’s personal income taxation, and those are all things I’ve been part of for five years.

“This is why I refer to the Government as ‘our Government’. It’s not ‘my Government’. I lead the Government in the way that two other prime ministers have because our Government’s been going for five years.”

THERE’S no doubt Morrison shares the same values as former prime minister John Howard. Howard spoke about families regularly and continued to invest in big spending commitments like family tax benefits.

Morrison says one of his priorities is to ensure families stay together in Australia – not only because it will be economically better for the country.

“I want families to chart out their own destiny. I don’t want to tell families how they are supposed to live and what choices they should make.

“I want them to have the freedom to make those choices as families.

“Family breakdown is arguably the principle cause of poverty in Australia. Keeping families strong – that’s a pretty important priority for me.

Scott Morrison and wife Jenny arrive for the annual Mid Winter Ball at Parliament House in Canberra. picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

“You make sure they are not subject to the financial pressures that can break many families. And that’s why having a job, having a strong economy which delivers the important support services around health and education, Medicare and disability care, supporting carers – none of that happens unless you’re running a strong economy.”

Morrison also reveals, without any sense of self-pity, how his father John is ageing.

“My father is at home and he’s quite advanced in his care at the moment. My mum’s the carer and she’s 75.

“She is tired but she’s tough, and my brother and sister-in-law, they live a little closer than we do, but we make sure we go over and visit dad, particularly as he has been a bit more advanced in his care needs. And his condition hasn’t been great.

“Dad hates the fact that people have to look after him.

“What has framed a lot of what I’ve said about this (issue) is what my own father and mother have been going through and what others, close friends ... who haven’t had a great experience.

“I know what Australians are feeling about this.

“There are a lot of things that you can’t help when you get old and there are some unfortunate indignities you have to go through – that’s understandable.

“But you’ve got to try to ensure they maintain as much of it (dignity) as they possibly can because that affects their mental health, that affects their spirit.”

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