Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, appointed AC. This honor is meant to acknowledge that “eminent service,” but listening to the breadth of his testimony, particularly during his time as head of our national COVID response, we can acknowledge that this honor feels overdue. His leadership was central to doing that work in the face of extraordinary challenges. He led us through the health, social and economic wreckage of a rare COVID pandemic and the acutely tragic Black Summer bushfires. Morrison left after a little more than three and a half years, beginning in 2018. He fell short to Labor leader Anthony Albanese in the 2022 election.
As treasurer, Morrison also drove the design of Australia’s COVID JobKeeper program. This $90 billion initiative is a wage subsidy specifically designed to keep Australian workers connected to their employing business during this crisis. He faced intense scrutiny and controversy as he led the country through crises that included international travel bans, which left many Australians stranded overseas. His decisions during this unprecedented time have invited overwhelming admiration as well as condemnation. Morrison is right that much of it is down to the success and resilience of Australians themselves.
Navigating Crises
Even by the rancorous standards of Morrison’s prime ministership, his replacement was broadsided by one crisis after another. He stated, “we were hit with pretty much every crisis you can imagine,” referring to the diverse challenges that included natural disasters, economic downturns, and a global health emergency.
His administration took the unprecedented step of closing international borders. This containment effort stopped the rapid spread of contagion, but it did so by forcibly isolating families and friends for weeks and months on end. Those borders remained closed for almost two full years. They only fully reopened to vaccinated travelers in early 2022—even as the new super-transmissible Omicron variant was spreading.
Looking back on those difficult days, Morrison said that there were a lot of “weird things we did.” He acknowledged the complexity of leadership during such periods, saying, “you don’t get everything right, particularly when you face that many challenges.”
Economic Initiatives and National Security
Morrison’s contributions extended beyond pandemic management. His government pushed through major economic reform measures designed to stabilize Australia’s economy. The JobKeeper scheme was vital to this effort. It was designed to provide a lifeline for struggling businesses and help preserve jobs in the face of enormous uncertainty.
Beyond tight fiscal policy, Morrison was the central figure in the Coalition government’s international engagement and national security. He was the mastermind behind the AUKUS agreement. This trilateral security pact raises the level of defense cooperation between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Morrison sees this deal as one of his proudest accomplishments, underscoring its value to the sovereignty of Australia.
He added that Australia’s prestige today is underpinned by a generation of sound fiscal policy and a robust defense enterprise. The most crucial as they’ve ever been,” Morrison said on the essential nature of these foundations for Australia’s current calm.
Controversies and Reflection
Morrison’s term as Prime Minister was not without scandal. His administration had already received considerable pushback after his pandemic-era secret appointment of five extra ministries. This in turn resulted in substantial claims of overreach and opacity. This scandal marred his successes and likely played a role in his electoral defeat in 2022.
Recognizing his controversial reign, Morrison has publicly acknowledged his approach to leadership and the choices he made in office. “I tend not to dwell too much on that because frankly there was just the next challenge coming the next day,” he stated when asked about potential regrets. He emphasized the need for adaptability and resilience in leadership: “You do the best job you can on the day and then you shake yourself off the next day and you do it all again.”
Morrison paid tribute to Australians for their courage during the calamities they endured in unison. “Through all of this Australians were just incredible,” he said. The young Prime Minister thought that their character and resolve defined much of the policy his government pursued.
