Scott Morrison: What you need to know about Australia’s new PM

HE stopped the boats, gave Lara Bingle her first big break, describes religion as a “hobby” and met his wife at the age of 12. There’s a lot to learn about Australia’s new Prime Minister.

HE’S the politician we’ve all simply come to know as ScoMo and now he’s been elected the Liberal Party leader and will now become Australia’s next Prime Minister.

Scott Morrison won the party room vote against Peter Dutton for the leadership 45 to 40.

Josh Frydenberg will become his deputy.

ScoMo is a bit of an awkward character who likes to keep his speeches longwinded.

When the then-treasurer was asked about his leadership aspirations on Tuesday, ScoMo replied: ‘Me?”

Then he put his hand on Malcolm Turnbull’s shoulders and declared, “This is my leader.”

A lot has changed in a few days.

So who is Scott Morrison and what can we expect under his leadership?

MP SINCE 2007

He entered federal Parliament during the Kevin ’07 campaign as a representative in the NSW seat of Cook.

When the Libs came into power in 2013, he was appointed Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and introduced Operation Sovereign Borders aimed at keeping his promise to “stop the boats”.

How times are changing … Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton during Question Time. Picture: AAP

IMMIGRATION MINISTER

In 2010, he complained about the cost of flying 22 survivors of the Christmas Island shipwreck to Sydney for the funerals of family members that died in the tragedy. His comments as Opposition Immigration spokesman not only angered Gillard Government MPs but also moderates from within the Liberal Party. Morrison later said his comments were “insensitive and inappropriate”.

In November 2014, a report by the Australian Human Rights Commission found that ScoMo — then Immigration Minister — failed in his responsibility to act in the best interests of children in detention.

His tough stance on immigration prompted a protest at his secondary school Sydney Boys High, with about 300 alumni protesting his attendance at a fundraising event in 2015.

New Liberal Party leader Scott Morrison. Picture: AAP

TREASURER AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Billed as the minister best able to stop the bludgers, Morrison rejected calls to increase the rate of the Newstart Allowance in the 2018 Budget, saying “my priority is to give tax relief to people who are working and paying taxes”.

In 2015, in his role as Social Services Minister he targeted young job seekers for regarding welfare as “an IKEA catalogue“. He also lashed out at “rorting” mothers for claiming both government and employer-paid parental leave schemes, which made them “double dippers.”

LARA BINGLE CONNECTION

He was managing director of Tourism Australia from 2004-2006, signing off on the “Where The Bloody Hell Are You?” campaign that made a buxom Lara Bingle famous.

Other positions he’s held were:

• National Manager, Policy and Research Property Council of Australia, 1989-95

• Deputy Chief Executive, Australian Tourism Task Force, 1995-96

• General Manager, Tourism Council, 1996-98

• Director, NZ Office of Tourism and Sport, 1998-2000

• State Director, Liberal Party (NSW) 2000-04

• Principal, MSAS Pty Ltd 2006-07

Model Lara Bingle in a still from the 2006 'Where the bloody hell are ya?' Tourism Australia advertisement.

EARLY YEARS

The 50-year-old grew up by the beach in the Sydney suburb of Bronte and went to the Sydney Boys High School before studying for a Bachelor of Science at Sydney University. His dad was a policeman and also served as mayor for the Waverley Municipal Council. ScoMo’s first political act was reportedly at the age of nine, handing out how-to-vote cards for his dad.

‘NETBALL DAD’

ScoMo lives in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s south with his wife Jenny, who he met at church aged just 12 and married at the age of 22, and their two young daughters. On his website, he describes himself as “a netball dad”, the number one ticket holder of the NRL Cronulla Sutherland Sharks and “a big Tina Arena fan”.

Before his party voted him as the next Liberal leader, ScoMo tipped the Sharks to win their next game as he entered the room.

Scott Morrison’s daughters Abbey and Lily and his wife Jenny. Picture: Kym Smith

LOVES RELIGION

He is a member of the Hillsong-style Shirelive church which describes itself as a “contemporary and growing church in Sydney”. In Who’s Who Morrison mentions the church as his number one hobby. After the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, Morrison proposed an amendment to the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 allowing parents to remove children from classes if “non-traditional” marriage is discussed.

Scott Morrison attends a Sunday Morning Mass with Tony Abbott on Nauru. Picture: Brad Hunter/News Corp

ACTING GIG

ScoMo had a brief career as a child actor, including in television commercials for cough specialists Vicks in the 1970s. He’s previously said he appeared in a Vicks cough drops commercial with the jingle “Vicks’ll lick a ticklin’ throat”.

Originally published as Scott Morrison: What you need to know about Australia’s new PM