Scott Morrison: ANZUS is Liberals greatest move

Scott Morrison nominates the Liberal Party’s single most important achievement in government.

Scott Morrison at Kirribilli House on Tuesday. Picture: Adam Taylor/PMO

Scott Morrison has named the ANZUS Treaty with the US, which formalised the Australia-US alliance and was negotiated and signed by the Menzies government in 1951, as “the single most important achievement” of the Liberal Party in government.

In an exclusive interview to mark the party’s 75th annivers­ary, the Prime Minister said the essential contribution made by Liberal governments to Australia had been “safety, stability (and) prosperity”.

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“If you don’t have a strong economy and a strong budget, then you can’t pay for hospitals and schools,” Mr Morrison, 51, said. “If you don’t have a strong economy and a strong budget, then you can’t pay for the defence forces and (the) intelligence and security and law enforcement that you need to keep Australians safe.”

Mr Morrison described the Liberal Party as being for all Australians, bound to no vested interest and a champion of con­servative and liberal philosophy, but above all a “common sense” and “pragmatic” party.

This, he said, was the key to its electoral success and longevity in government.

“When you lead a party that has such a broad appeal, and a broad base, it is necessary to … know where you stand and not to run off to the fringes, but to stay very much in the mainstream of the party, which means you’re ­accessible to the full broad reach of the party,” he said.

He drew a connection ­between the party led by Sir Robert Menzies (1945-66), John Howard (1985-89; 1995-2007) and himself (2018-present), and said he had kept faith with this ­tradition of leadership.

“Menzies spoke of people ­quietly going about their lives and working hard at raising their families and doing good things in their communities, and it has been that community that I’ve ­always been part of and keen to represent,” he said.

“The Liberal Party has been best when connected with those Australians, from the ‘forgotten people’ to Howard’s ‘battlers’, and I’ve spoken of them as ‘quiet Australians’. It is the value set of that community that is at the heart of what the Liberal Party is all about and I think that is the reason why the party has had the consistent success that it has.”

Although he generally avoids introspection, believing it to be self-indulgent, Mr Morrison ­reflected on his own political journey and stressed that he never had a burning ambition to lead the Liberal Party or become prime minister from a young age, but was eager to “serve” his country.

“My jobs and promotions in politics have tended to find me, rather than the other way round,” he said. “Do a good job and the next one will take care of itself is the advice John Howard gave me almost 20 years ago.

“I’ve appreciated every day of service that I’ve had, whether it’s been a member of parliament, a minister or indeed now Prime Minister. These are all very satisfying things to do as part of your public service. To have the honour and privilege to do what I do now is extraordinary and I’m very grateful for it, and I’m very humbled by it.”

Mr Morrison would not be drawn on the criticisms made by Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull of each other, and the party, reported in exclusive interviews with The Australianthis week to mark the Liberal Party’s founding in 1944.

“I was very pleased to work for both of them and serve in both of their cabinets, and play an important role in the achievements that both of their governments were able to deliver,” he said.