PM greeted like a rock star in his first Coalition party room meeting
A triumphant Scott Morrison meets with his Coalition parliamentary team for the first time | WATCH
A triumphant Scott Morrison has met with his Coalition parliamentary team for the first time since its shock election win, and told MPs they will govern “with humility” and for “the quiet Australians.”
The Prime Minister was greeted like a rock star as he welcomed a raft of new MPs to the joint Coalition party room, one by one, in Canberra today.
But he also noted one significant absence in his team — former prime minister Tony Abbott.
.@ScottMorrisonMP: It is our job to govern humbly for this nation, to have them very much at the centre of our thoughts. We must burn for the Australian people every single day.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 28, 2019
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But Mr Morrison mainly stuck to his post-election themes in his first Canberra speech, saying the government would be getting back to work.
“Our focus every day (of the election campaign) was solely on them ... it was a victory for those Australians who just go out there and work hard every day,” he said in Parliament House.
“We must focus on the strength of our economy ... without a strong economy all else is in vain.
“You can’t tackle climate change without a strong economy, you can’t ensure record hospital funding without a strong economy, you can’t combat youth suicide like we’re going to without a strong economy, you can’t fund the NDIS as we do without a strong economy.”
.@ScottMorrisonMP: A strong economy is what we must continue our focus on delivering. By focusing on that we provide the opportunity to deliver on all the essential services that Australians rely on.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 28, 2019
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Coalition MPs applauded a long list of new names joining their parliamentary ranks like former Notre Dame vice-chancellor Celia Hammond, paediatrician Katie Allen, and child psychologist Fiona Martin.
He also paid tribute to Mr Abbott, who was not a part of the Coalition party room for the first time since 1994 after losing his Sydney seat of Warringah to independent Zali Steggall.
“I want to thank Tony Abbott for his service to this party and to his nation,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison’s new ministry is set to be sworn in tomorrow at Government House.
.@ScottMorrisonMP: Here we are, a fresh team. A team that is hungry, committed, united.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 28, 2019
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