Q&A: British author Johann Hari says former PM Scott Morrison ‘a bit like herpes’

The embattled former PM found himself compared to a venereal disease on last night’s Q&A, much to the amusement of the guests and audience.

Scott Morrison was compared to the sexually transmitted infection herpes on ABC’s Q&A on Thursday night.

The venereal similarity, made by British author Johann Hari, was in relation to the revelation the embattled former prime minister took on five additional ministerial roles during 2020 and 2021, without informing the public, and in most cases, without informing the existing ministers of those portfolios.

The swipe came as a former minister said on the same program that then-Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was “aware” Mr Morrison had assigned himself at least one extra portfolio.

In a press conference on Thursday, Mr Morrison said he only intended to use his multiple ministerial powers “in an emergency situation”.

He added he did not think it necessary to announce he had given himself additional powers unless he was going to use them, which he did in only one instance.

“I understand the offence that some of my colleagues particularly have felt about this,” he said.

“I understand that and I’ve apologised to them, but equally as prime minister, only I could really understand the weight of responsibility that was on my shoulders and on no one else.

“And as a result, I took the decision that I thought I needed to take.”

It’s been a week for former PM Scott Morrison. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

‘A bit like herpes’

On Thursday’s Q&A, Mr Hari – who writes book on topics including mental health – was asked by host Stan Grant what he made of the furore as someone from overseas.

“Scott Morrison seems to me a bit like herpes,” said Mr Hari, to amusement from the panel and audience.

“Just when you think it’s gone away it comes back worse than ever”.

“I wasn’t expecting you to go there so quickly,” said Grant, laughing.

Herpes is an infection that can affect the mouth or genitalia and often leads to blisters and painful sores. Once someone has had one outbreak of herpes it can come back repeatedly.

Mr Hari said he had been thinking about Mr Morrison in relation to three other world leaders – outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former US President Donald Trump and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Boris Johnson, a person who felt the rules didn’t apply to him to the point that he locked down the country and then had parties where they sent out invites saying, ‘bring your own booze’.

British author Johann Hari said Scott Morrison reminded him of herpes.

“Donald Trump, who thought the rules didn’t apply to him to the point that when he stopped being president he took classified nuclear secrets out of the White House and – in the past week – the FBI had to raid Mar a Lago to get them back.”

But Mr Harri said the person he thought most of in comparison to Mr Morrison was Germany’s Angela Merkel.

“At the height of Covid, Angela Merkel addressed the German people and she said to them, the last thing you want to do as a German chancellor, with our history, is suspend anyone’s democratic freedoms.

This week, federal parliament was rocked by revelations of Scott Morrison secretly appointing himself to multiple ministries. How will the current government prevent this happening again? #QandApic.twitter.com/DUVvgxSCyQ

— QandA (@QandA) August 18, 2022

“So I am going to be 100 per cent transparent with you every step of the way about what I’m doing.

“And here’s a line she said that I thought about so much in relation to Morrison.

“She said, ‘this is what democracy means. We make political decisions transparent and we explain them’

“Australians deserve more Merkel and less Morrison in my view.”

Host Stan Grant was amused.

Deputy PM ‘aware’ of Morrison’s actions

Former resources minister Keith Pitt, who held one of the portfolios Mr Morrison jumped into, said on Thursday’s Q&A that the then-Deputy PM was across at least some of the ministerial moonlighting.

He told Grant Nationals leader Michael McCormack, who was Deputy Prime Minister for a period under Mr Morrison, knew about him being signed into the resources portfolio.

“I had a discussion with Michael McCormack as leader of the Nationals, as you would expect I would,” Mr Pitt said.

Grant asked explicitly if in a meeting with Mr McCormack he had told him of the PM’s actions.

“It may have occurred in a meeting that Michael was at with all of us, including the PM and his representatives, or it may have been a separate discussion. I’m working my way through what is a very complex diary,” Mr Pitt said.

“We had a discussion, Michael was aware, but my recollection was that he may well have been in the room when we had a previous discussion with the PM.”