Scott Morrison is taking a presidential campaign approach to this election
Scott Morrison has only been prime minister since August, but that’s not the impression he’s giving voters.
Analysis
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ANALYSIS
Scott Morrison’s pumped-up presidential campaign style is jutting through the haze created by the foggy competing tax calculations.
There are occasions when Mr Morrison’s glowing self references almost outnumber his sneering mentions of Labor’s Bill Shorten.
And he gives the impression he has been prime minister for a considerable time, not just since August when he was No. 3 option after the top two — Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton — were knocked out by each other.
“I think people know this enough about me now: If I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it, “ he declared today.
Mr Morrison hasn’t yet this campaign referred to himself in the third person, but he has asked himself questions.
“Why am I so passionate when I talk about keeping the economy strong, keeping taxes down, supporting small and family businesses, building $100 billion worth of infrastructure, making our cities work better? Why?” he inquired of himself emphatically.
Apart from noting his own good attributes, Mr Morrison is making clear he will be giving increasingly harsh measurements of Mr Shorten’s abilities.
Today it was an unflattering comparison with former ACTU leader and Labor prime minister Bob Hawke.
“There’s been a few comparisons made between Bill Shorten and Bob Hawke recently,” he said in a tone indicating he hadn’t heard anything sillier.
“Bob Hawke ran the union movement. He led the union movement and I think you can say, you know, Liberals didn’t always agree with him, and there was some spirited contests.
“But no-one disputed the fact that Bob Hawke ran the union movement. The difference with Bill Shorten is that the union movement runs Bill Shorten.
“He runs to their tune, he doesn’t lead anything, he follows the union movement and he takes his riding instructions from them, and that’s what is at risk.”
Expect more of this type of put-down until May 18 as Mr Morrison works to convince it is the leadership debate not the policy contest which is important.
As he said on Thursday opening the campaign: Vote Liberal you get him! Vote Labor you get Bill Shorten.
Originally published as Scott Morrison is taking a presidential campaign approach to this election
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