Scott Morrison warns ‘autocrats win’ without faith, in final parliamentary speech

Scott Morrison warns the ‘authoritarians and autocrats win’ if the nation’s embrace of secularism allows it to drift into a valueless void, as he retires from politics.

The 30th prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, delivers his valedictory speech to parliament in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Scott Morrison says “authoritarians and autocrats win” if the ­nation’s embrace of secularism ­allows it to drift into a “valueless void”.

In an at-times emotional valedictory speech to parliament on Monday, the former prime minister thanked his family and constituents for their support during his 16-year parliamentary career, quoted the bible and referenced every single Taylor Swift album and some songs after being challenged to a Swift bingo game by his daughters.

He touched on his government’s pandemic response, which he said ensured Australia emerged with “one of the strongest economies through Covid”, and reflected that politics was an imperfect project.

The member for Cook, whose resignation will trigger a by-election later this year, declared respect for human rights has its roots in religion, warning of a decline in Judaeo-Christian values in Australian society.

“You don’t need to share my Christian faith to appreciate the virtue of human rights,” he said.

“I’m not suggesting you do, but equally, we should be careful about diminishing the influence and the voice of Judaeo-Christian faith in our Western society, as doing so risks our society drifting into a valueless void.

“In that world, there is nothing to stand on. There is nothing to hold on to, and the authoritarians and autocrats win.

“In the increasing Western embrace of secularism, let us be careful not to disconnect ourselves from what I would argue is our greatest gift and most effective protector of our freedoms – the ­Judaeo-Christian values upon which our liberty and society were founded.”

Jenny Morrison and daughters Abigail and Lily during Scott Morrison's valedictory speech to parliament in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

With wife Jenny, daughters Abbey and Lily and mother Marion watching from the floor of the House of Representatives, Mr Morrison said he felt his late father, John, was present for his speech.

He cautioned against the emergence of new threats on the world stage posed by the authoritarian regimes of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, while stressing the importance of standing up for the global rules-based order.

Marion Morrison and Jenny Morrison congratulate Scott Morrison after his valedictory speech to parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“During my time in this place, and especially as prime minister, we have seen an end to the post-Cold War period of globalisation, and the emergence of a new era of strategic competition where our global rules-based order is being challenged by a new arc of autocracy,” he said. “This arc of autocracy … ranges from Pyongyang to Beijing to Tehran and Moscow.”

Mr Morrison spoke about the public’s loss of faith in politics.

“I suspect that much of our disillusion with politics today and our institutions is that we have put too much faith in them,” he said.

“At the end of the day, the state and the market are just run by imperfect people, like all of us.”