Inside Scott Morrison’s retirement plans with family in Sutherland Shire

Scott Morrison confirmed he would exit politics next month, and while the scandal-plagued former PM has lined up a new job, he’s got a bigger task to tackle closer to home.

He once referred to himself as a political bulldozer.

But in retirement, Scott Morrison has vowed there will be no bulldozing as he sets about doing some much needed renovations to his family home in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire.

“I won’t be doing a dual-occ (dual occupancy),” he told his local newspaper, The Leader, of his plans.

Mr Morrison last week called time on his 16-year long political career that saw him reach the top, and then return to the backbench only to endure a scandal for secretly appointing himself to five ministerial positions during the pandemic.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison sits at his home in the Sutherland Shire. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Mr Morrison said he looked forward to spending more time with his family in retirement. Photo: Instagram / Supplied

He will now embark on a “new challenge” after being appointed vice-chair of American Global Strategies – headed by former Trump security adviser Robert O’Brien – with a focus on US and Indo-Pacific strategic issues.

It’s an area that Mr Morrison said “gave (him) more sleepless nights than the pandemic”.

He will also join former CIA director and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo as a strategic adviser to asset management firm DYNE.

Despite the global nature of his new role, Mr Morrison insists he will be staying at home with his family in the Shire – a community he said had supported him through the political ups and downs.

“Here was always a very wonderful place in the best and the hardest of times to come and be supported, people understood what you were trying to do and they gave a lot of moral support here in the Shire,” he told The Leader.

Mr Morrison said his election win in 2019 put people’s ‘noses out of joint’. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

While the former PM has lined up a job as vice-chair of American Global Strategies, he told his local newspaper high on his list of priorities would be some much-needed home renovations. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

The former Liberal leader will formally end his political career, which included four years as prime minister, in February after a tumultuous few years.

Mr Morrison entered politics in 2007 as the Member for Cook. He gained national attention during his time as Immigration Minister and the creation of Operation Sovereign Borders.

He was later promoted to treasurer after Malcolm Turnbull rolled Tony Abbott for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 2016.

Two years later, he publicly declared his support for Mr Turnbull when Mr Dutton challenged him for the leadership. Mr Morrison later offered himself as a more attractive candidate – and won.

Mr Morrison later claimed “victory” in the 2019 election – a moment he called a “miracle”.

He pointed to that win as being why he was the subject of so many personal attacks.

“The people we beat didn’t like it,” he said.

Mr Morrison entered parliament in 2007. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“There were a lot of noses put out of joint – people who thought a Labor victory was certain.”

But just months later, a disastrously timed holiday to Hawaii during the Black Summer bushfires unravelled his popularity.

He cut the holiday short following the deaths of two volunteer firefighters.

“While it would have been better not to have gone, at the same time the political pile-on was very personal, and it’s unfortunate a disaster was politicised and personalised in that way,” Mr Morrison said.

He then oversaw the “full-on and overwhelmingly exhausting” pandemic years.

Mr Morrison said the criticism of the vaccine delivery didn’t take into account the complexity of the situation.

“I think our hit rate on good decisions was pretty high, certainly more than just about any other country in the world,” he told the Leader.

For now, he just wants to spend more time at home with his family.

“My girls have known nothing other than that life,” Mr Morrison said.

Originally published as Inside Scott Morrison’s retirement plans with family in Sutherland Shire