Scott Morrison admits vaccine mistake he made as PM

Scott Morrison has revealed what he believes is one of his big mistakes during his time as PM, a day after admitting he needs to “change”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed what he believes was one of his biggest mistakes in the past three years, as he heads into the final week of the election campaign.

Speaking from the electorate of Deakin in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Mr Morrison conceded that he has had to make decisions that “not on every occasion were right”.

When asked for specific example on where he thought he had made the wrong decision, he cited the start of the Covid-19 vaccine program and letting it be run by the Department of Health.

“Now, in hindsight, bringing in General Frewen is something I would have done earlier, because when I put General Frewen in charge, we fixed the problem,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Saturday.

Lieutenant General John Frewen was appointed as head of the National Covid Vaccine Taskforce by Mr Morrison on June 4.

Scott Morrison on the campaign trail in Deakin. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Prime Minister said this decision then led to Australia having one of the highest Covid-19 vaccines rates in the world and ensuring that every Australian who wanted a vaccine could get one.

A reporter pointed out that many Australians were also unimpressed with Mr Morrison’s response to issues like the fires, floods, women’s safety and integrity.

When asked whether he would also change how he handles those situations in the future, the Prime Minister launched into a story about the “Morrison men” and how the aim of all the men in his family is to “fix things”.

“Sometimes when we go in and fix things, people can get the impression that perhaps we’re not as aware of many of the sensitivities that can be around these issues,” he said.

Lieutenant General John Frewen was appointed to lead the vaccine rollout. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Mr Morrison cited the $2.9 billion that was delivered to bushfire impacted communities and the $2.5 billion invested in “protecting women’s safety”.

“I get about the job of seeking to fix and I know sometimes that looks like I’m just pressing on. But you know, as a Prime Minister, you have to get this stuff done.”

Moving forward, Mr Morrison vowed to “empathise” more with the Australian people.

“I will seek to explain my concerns and empathise a lot more. But I tell you what, at the end of the day, what matters most is I get the job done,” he said.

These comments follow yesterday’s admission from the Prime Minister that he needs to “change” if he is re-elected as the leader of the country.

Speaking in Melbourne on Friday, Mr Morrison conceded that he “can be a bit of a bulldozer” when it comes to some issues and noted that an adjustment would be needed in the future.

“As we go into this next period, on the other side of this election, I know there are things that are going to have to change with the way I do things because we’re moving into a different time,” he said.

‘When I put General Frewen in charge, we fixed the problem.’ Picture: Brendan Radke

The acknowledgment that he would “have to change” marks a significant shift in Mr Morrison’s campaign strategy. He has previously acknowledged that he may not be well-liked, but insisted his popularity “doesn’t matter”.

“You may not like everything we’ve done, you may not like me that much, but that’s not the point,” he told voters earlier in the election campaign.

“When you go to the dentist, it doesn’t matter whether you like him or her. You want to know they’re good at their job.”

When asked on Saturday why he decided to admit he needed to change just days out from the election rather than earlier in his campaign, Mr Morrison claimed he had been “listening carefully” to Australians.

The PM says he has been listening to Australians about the need to change. Picture: Jason Edwards

He said this campaign has afforded him the opportunity to hear from the public in a way he hadn’t been able to during the height of the pandemic over the past two years.

“The opportunity to get out and be with people in communities has been one that we haven’t had,” the Prime Minister said.

“It’s been a very unusual time where frankly, each and every day, we were dealing as a government with often quite existential crises.

“Take yourself back to March 2020. It was one of the most stark periods in Australia’s history as we looked down into a completely uncertain future. The country relied on us as a government, and particularly Josh Frydenberg and I, to deliver the economic plan that would see Australia through.”