Scott Morrison says election win was ‘like walking on the edge of a razor blade’

Scott Morrison has opened up about how his team achieved the seemingly impossible and pulled off a sensational election victory over Labor.

Scott Morrison has opened up about how he achieved the seemingly impossible and pulled off a sensational election win over Labor.

The Prime Minister said snatching victory from the jaws of defeat was “like walking the edge of a razor blade”, but his team worked hard for it.

“There was a clear path to us being able to win this election,” he told Sky News host Paul Murray. “It was a very narrow one.

“It was a bit like walking along the edge of a razor blade for eight months, but it required the discipline of the whole team.”

The Liberal leader, who looks set to win at least 77 seats and form a majority government, said he believed Australias “could see just how disciplined our team had been over that eight months and how much we had worked together.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sky News presenter Paul Murray that his win required ‘discipline’ from his whole team.

Mr Morrison campaigned hard over the past few weeks, despite polls putting his party behind Labor, and seemed to increase his pace towards the end.

He projected energy and confidence, throwing himself into every opportunity as he worked 20-hour days, hit the phone most nights and visited several electorates in Queensland on Friday.

In contrast, Bill Shorten seemed confident of a Labor win and seemed to slow down in the final week of the campaign, only appearing at a handful of public events.

“The bubble popped on Saturday night,” said Mr Morrison. “It was a victory for the quiet Australians.

“I think I’ve been able to connect with Australians in a very personal and special way.”

It was a job the MP for Cook in New South Wales began working on from the moment he took the prime ministership from Malcolm Turnbull just under nine months ago.

“I had a very clear job to do when I took over the prime ministership last year,” he told Murray. “There were quite a few setbacks along that way.

“We have been a very competent government. We were good managers.”

.@ScottMorrisonMP on his election victory: The path to victory was like 'walking on'the edge of a razor blade.'

MORE: https://t.co/8IfVvODJXM #PMLIVE #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/tSOugWrG3Z

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 20, 2019

He also had some thoughts on what went so catastrophically wrong for Mr Shorten, with the election thought to be his to lose.

“Higher taxes means we think the government knows what to do with your money better than you,” said Mr Morrison. “I trust you. I back you. That’s why I asked people to back me the way they did.

“Go and do your jobs. We’re going to do ours.

“They don’t want these class wars.”

The 51-year-old’s dedication appears to have been forged early in life, with the religious PM discussing his “very strict” police officer father’s rules.

“My father was quite strict,” added Mr Morrison. “He prevented me from joining the surf club, which I always regretted.

“He said the guys in the surf club drank too much and he didn’t want me exposed to that.

“He didn’t let me go to rock concerts and he’d always say, ‘No, you can’t go to that because I have to rescue the people who do.’”

The Prime Minister said the sensational win had given his party renewed confidence to think, “look what we can do now, as a united, stable team.”

And he is already hard at work, meeting with his leadership team on Monday to discuss the next steps in taking Australia forward.

“We’re back at work, but we’re not in a hurry on a lot of these decisions,” he said. “As we had begun, so we will continue now with this fresh opportunity.

“My local home community is everything, so many of the values of my local community is what I try bring to the job.”

He cautioned against the darker side of politics.

“I’ve got to say I think there was an element this campaign I wouldn’t like to see again, some real nastiness,” he said. “Third-party activists I find a bit distasteful. Not Australian.

“We must disagree better ... lead discussion in a better way — disagree on things, but at the same time work together.

“Keep Australians safe, but keep them together.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison says election win was ‘like walking on the edge of a razor blade’