Treasurer goes from political hard man to man of peace in bid to get measures through Parliament

SCOTT Morrison, one of the toughest brawlers of the Parliament, today suddenly became Mr Softy, a man of political peace.

Treasurer's Scott Morrison Press Club address at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Gary Ramage

SCOTT Morrison, one of the toughest brawlers of the Parliament, today suddenly became Mr Softy, a man of political peace.

“We’ve got to stop looking at these issues as conflicts,” the Treasurer told the traditional Budget lunch hosted by the National Press Club in Canberra.

And he said: “So we’re all mates as Australians.”

The Treasurer wants an end to conflict and is encouraging more “meeting in the middle” to mark what he calls the “new reality” of Australian politics.

This cuddlier ScoMo emerged today as the Treasurer ramped up promotion of his Budget delivered Tuesday night, including a rise in the Medicare levy to bolster funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and a new tax on banks.

Mr Morrison endorsed a new mood of pragmatism to explain the dumping of $13 billion worth of un-legislated cost-cutting measures which had been in limbo since the 2014 and 2015 Budgets but which were eliminated last night.

“The Parliament made its decision not to accept the additional savings,” he said.

“We can’t whine and wing and play political games. Let’s be honest. Rule a line. Move on, apply a solution.”

Gone was the former shadow immigration spokesman who effectively destroyed the Malaysian Solution to refugee overloaded attempted by the Labor government of Julia Gillard.

Nor was there any sign of the no-prisoners style Mr Morrison displayed when in charge of border protection and defying calls for a less ruthless approach.

The Treasurer today said voters were looking at what politicians could do for them.

“And increasingly that means in this Parliament, wherever we can meet in the middle to make sure that happens,” he said.

“That means many of us have to move from positions we’ve been holding previously.

“We have to, otherwise we run around the building making excuses as to why nothing has happened.

“That won’t cut it in this new reality of Australian politics.”

Mr Morrison said voters were not interested in political games and wanted a government that got things done.

“We’ve got to stop looking at these issues as conflicts. I appeal to the media in that respect,” he said.

“Not everything is about conflict guys. Not everything is about personalities.

“For people who are not in this room today, they’re sick of that nonsense. They want a government that is focusing on making the right decisions.

“And they want the information about the decisions they’re making and how they impact on their lives. Enough of the gossip.”

The new standard was pragmatism and being practical rather than ideological.

“You know if you are practical, you don’t dwell on things like that. You deal with the situation that you have,” said Mr Morrison.

Originally published as Treasurer goes from political hard man to man of peace in bid to get measures through Parliament