Kevin Rudd launches Scott Morrison’s book in Washington, DC

He once accused Scott Morrison of gaslighting the nation. But Kevin Rudd took a different approach as he launched his former nemesis’ new book.

Of all the people Scott Morrison could choose to launch his book, Kevin Rudd would surely seem to be among the least likely options.

The ex-Labor PM was a fierce critic of the Liberal leader during his years in charge, accusing him of “rat-f**king” and “gaslighting” Australians during the pandemic and botching the AUKUS deal.

In turn, Morrison blasted Rudd’s response to the Global Financial Crisis.

You would be forgiven for thinking there was little love lost between the pair – unless and

until you saw Rudd not only generously spruik Morrison’s post-parliamentary memoir, but even go so far as to suggest the political rivals might actually be related.

Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd speak sat Scott Morrison’s book launch. Picture: Samuel Corum

In what was a surprise to Morrison, at the event at Australia’s embassy in Washington DC, Rudd revealed their ancestors both arrived in Australia on the Second Fleet in 1790.

“Just think of it. There was a limited number of women in the colony in those days. There could have been some magic between your forebear and mine,” Australia’s ambassador to the US said to him.

“We could have ended up as blood relatives, and given the complex and challenging morality of the time, we could well be blood relatives.”

Kevin Rudd joked during his speech that he and Scott Morrison could be distantly related. Picture: Samuel Corum

Scott Morrison during the event promoting his new book Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Picture: Samuel Corum

All jokes aside, what brought them together on Wednesday (local time) was their shared faith, the focus of Morrison’s book that Rudd said he was “glad that he’s written” because talking about Christianity in public life was “often not a popular thing to do” these days.

“We spent a large part of our time on opposite sides of the fence, but one side we’re the same is in relation to our faith,” Morrison acknowledged.

“While we come together like this, it’s very injurious to our political reputations back home, but I think tonight is a great opportunity to share the things that mean the most to us.”

Scott Morrison was far more expansive about his faith than he had been while in power. Picture: Samuel Corum

Former Trump presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway. Picture: Samuel Corum

Kevin Rudd speaks as former Director of the CIA Mike Pompeo, former PM Scott Morrison and former presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway look on. Picture: Samuel Corum

Joining them was former US president Donald Trump’s secretary of state Mike Pompeo, his senior adviser Kellyanne Conway and his vice president Mike Pence.

“Because we’re here tonight to talk about God, only Scott Morrison could bring together such a broad church,” Rudd said.

Trump – the elephant not in the room – had a friendly meeting with Morrison the night before in New York, whereas Rudd was recently attacked by Trump as “nasty” and “not the brightest bulb”, while Pence sensationally refused to endorse his re-election campaign.

Kevin Rudd with former US vice president Mike Pence at the event. Picture: Samuel Corum

The former vice president said he could not miss the chance to support Morrison, his close friend with whom he prayed as they led their respective countries.

“I came to know this man. I came to know his heart, a heart filled with love for his nation,” Pence said, adding he believed his book would “give hope to people around the world”.

Morrison, speaking on a panel with Pompeo and Conway about “Plans For Your Good”, was far more expansive about his faith than he had been while in power.

“When you’re in public office … you want to be honest about who you are. You don’t want to conceal that from the voting public and the country you love,” he said.

“But at the same time, I wasn’t elected to be the pope of Australia. I was elected to be the prime minister of Australia.”

“I’m enormously grateful for the privileges I had to serve in politics. I’m also pretty happy that that’s done, and that I’m doing something else now … Politics was not the centre of my and (wife) Jenny’s life. The centre of my life has always been my faith.”

Morrison said he was “experiencing irrelevance appreciation syndrome” rather than relevance deprivation syndrome, a condition for which Rudd had often been diagnosed. On this night, however, the unlikely pair was happy to share the limelight.

Originally published as Kevin Rudd launches Scott Morrison’s book in Washington, DC