This story is part one in a series. For the full series go here.
Scott Morrison’s prime ministership represents a paradigm shift in Australian politics, and it’s a shift that has been discombobulating for journalists, commentators and others in the political sphere. Morrison is surely the first resident of the Lodge to say that God has sent him a message through a painting of a soaring eagle — and believe the literal truth of that.
The PM’s way of doing business does not fit with the conventional rules of engagement. It forces us to look for another way to interpret Morrison the politician. After eight years in government — three in the top job — Morrison’s record shows that he is the most anti-democratic prime minister we have known.
How so? Well, he is addicted to secrecy. It started with his “on-water matters” ruse to avoid questions as immigration minister and it persists with his attempts to enforce confidentiality on national cabinet operations.
Morrison detests independent processes. The list is as long as your arm, from stacking independent authorities with political friends, to a disdain for the Australian National Audit Office, to placing his trusted department head Phil Gaetjens in charge of ministerial inquiries.
Morrison fails to enforce standards of behaviour: Angus Taylor, Matt Canavan, George Christensen; the return of Bridget McKenzie; the conduct of his own office in the case of Brittany Higgins.
He tells lies and shifts positions. As Crikey has documented, he does this with impunity and no sense of shame.
He is opposed to outside accountability. There is no meaningful prospect of a federal ICAC, freedom of information is rendered ineffective and his media strategy is carefully honed to avoid rigorous questioning.
Morrison, in other words, has been party to the destruction of the very processes which define a healthy democratic government. What remains is the appearance of democracy via elections every three years — something he has shown to be very good at.
Just another opportunistic politician?
On one level Morrison can be understood as another opportunistic politician who knows he can get away with it. Yet there is another set of facts which explains his actions, at least in part, and that is that he sees himself as truly accountable only to God.
There is ample evidence that Morrison and those around him consider him to have been chosen by God — dating back to before he entered Parliament in 2007. There is strong evidence, too, that he sees divine intervention when it comes to key moments in his personal and political life. There was the “miracle” birth of the Morrisons’ first daughter. The “miracle” of his 2019 election win. The sudden appearance of a painting of a soaring eagle as a direct message from God on the election trail.
These convictions are unusual in an Australian political leader. They are also very real — even if they sound outlandish to non-believers.
Morrison asks us to believe that he can separate his strongly held belief in the power of the supernatural from how he governs. But this is a very different Morrison from the one who presented himself to his wider Pentecostal family at the Australian Christian Churches conference in April. There he was the man who was in power “for such a time as this” — a biblical phrase from the Old Testament‘s Book of Esther, which he repeated over and over. The phrase invokes courage and hope among believers with its reference to the one defining moment when it is possible to make a difference.
(The full sentence from the Book of Esther is, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” It has special resonance on the Christian right, where it evokes the idea of individuals chosen by God as “divine agents” to advance his plans, and goes to building a picture of divine anointing.)
Morrison’s refusal to be transparent invites speculation about what drives his decisions. He is annoyed when people speculate that religion might influence his actions, and more than once has said belief is a matter between him and God. But then he refuses to play ball by opening up the facts for interrogation.
There are examples big and small of Morrison’s actions which may be underpinned by his faith. Why doesn’t he publicly pull Coalition MP George Christensen into line — and perhaps insist he stand down — when Christensen makes dangerous statements about COVID-19? There’s always an excuse not to act: Christensen is a National, not a Liberal. But Christensen is also a fervent Christian and a key contributor (with Canavan) to an organisation known as Church and State which has the mission of blurring the lines between the two.
Why does Morrison praise and promote Queensland MP Stuart Robert despite his dismal ministerial record? Is it because he has to give a Queenslander a spot in cabinet? Or is it because Robert is a Pentecostal pastor?
Women cast as temptresses
On a bigger stage, why doesn’t Morrison “get it” — in 2021 — about violence against women? Is it because he’s a bit of a daggy dad who goes to the footy? Or is it because his religion formalises strict gender roles and casts women as temptresses?
Internationally, why did Morrison blindside everyone with two major foreign affairs interventions with major consequences? One was the sudden announcement, on the eve of a 2018 byelection for the seat of Wentworth, that Australia might shift its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with decades of careful Middle East diplomacy. The other was to go out loudly with a demand that China be subjected to an international inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.
On one level both calls played, opportunistically, to domestic politics: playing to the Jewish vote in Wentworth on the one hand, and pandering to a growing anti-China sentiment in Australia on the other.
Yet both positions are also in lockstep with the policies of former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who is also a fervent evangelical Christian. The idea of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a core driver for evangelical Christians convinced that an end-of-days event is set to occur.
Coincidentally, Pompeo has also invoked the biblical phrase “for such a time as this” to justify unconventional US policy moves on Israel under Trump. Pompeo led the congratulations for Morrison’s China moves. He also framed the conflict in religious terms, calling China the greatest threat in the world to religious freedom.
And finally there is Morrison’s remarkable assertion that he secretly used physical contact with Australian bushfire victims to practice the “laying on of hands”, a way of healing by invoking the holy spirit. It demonstrates that Morrison will quietly do God’s work in the guise of a separate, discrete action.
We know that Morrison governs Australia. But there is no simple answer to the question of who — or what — governs Morrison. In Crikey‘s new series God in The Lodge, we will explore this through investigative pieces and analysis, including from five of Australia’s best writers on politics and religion.
Next — The good word: a compendium of Scott Morrison’s godly quotes
David, this is an excellent piece of analysis with one factual error.
Parliamentary terms for the House of Representatives are three years, not four as you mentioned in the piece.
I also think it’s important to contextualise the rise of Pentacostal influence in the Liberal Party as coinciding with the party subsuming Family First. The motivating forces behind that decision are becoming clearer and clearer as the years pass by as it helps advance that Pentacostal desire to influence public life through political engagement. This is becoming increasingly overt.
Great work.
thank you. being fixed. Appreciate your comments.
Wish it was 4 years fixed terms. Stop all the “will they, won’t they” crap and the pathetic “testing the waters” possible policy announcements.
Or to be more precise the maximum term is three years. Only once has the government gone to full term with the election date chosen by opportunism
“He is annoyed when people speculate that religion might influence his actions, and more than once has said belief is a matter between him and God.”
Some might think Morrison’s response here is some sort of denial that his religion might influence his actions in government, that it is purely a private matter with no wider implications, but on the contrary he is actually saying nobody else has any business challenging, or even asking about, the influence of his religion on all he does; and on the evidence available that influence is profound. Up to a point (and by Morrison’s very low standards) it’s actually quite an honest response, telling Australians he does not answer to us.
Spot on.
It’s the Ol’ “for those who have ears to hear ” thing. The evangelical imperative to reach out to the world always acknowledges that the broad mass of us will refuse to understand. We don’t warrant what would amount to wasted pearls…What would seem like an inbuilt realism in their expectation of spiritual conversion becomes something more troubling when the mission extends to political power.
Very scary we have a leader with an unshakeable Pentecostal faith that guides all his decision-making. God help us.
ScoMo and his Prosperity/Capitalist Christianity make me cringe. He makes John Howard look slightly left on the political spectrum. It’s a no vote from this chick…a former Liberal Party member (because I saw the light and it wasn’t Jesus).
When Jesus “ascended to heaven” 2021 years ago, even if he was travelling at the speed of light, he wouldn’t even be half-way across the galaxy yet. The nearest galaxy to ours, Andromeda, is a further 2.537 million light years away. Now lets assume that heaven is a few galaxies beyond that (there a billions out there), its going to be a long time before he’s back.
That explains why J-man isn’t listening to my prayer requests, he’s too busy trying to penetrate the Oort Cloud!!!
If he’s an example of a Christian, it’s just another good reason to avoid the faith.
By way of complete contrast – the work of climate scientist/prof of political science/evangelical Christian – Katherine Hayhoe, a great woman.
And the work, over decades, of Sister Brigid Arthur mostly recently as litigation guardian for eight teenagers who successfully sought an injunction to prevent the environment minister from approving a coal mine and a declaration of a duty of care to children to be recognised.
Plus the nun who organises the bevy of supporters who appear outside the ACT courts every time there is a hearing into the many aspects of the case against the federal government is running against Bernard Collaery.
Both women of courage, action and good faith.
Misguided people can do good things. Perhaps their “faith” is what drives them but “religious faith” itself is a dubious concept. How can you fully trust someone who believes in some kind of myth? I think people conflate values and religion. There is no doubt some religions espouse sound values (but not consistently, respect for females is not great in Christian or Islamic texts. Ask the Pope why he is he and not she), but fundamentally believing in a mythical God is weird. Values are socially constructed not ordained by some God. In the past, it would be helpful to invoke a God to enforce values in the absence of a legal framework. God will punish you if you behave at odds with this value type thing.
After the horror of Pope Joan in the middle ages, they cut a hole in the papal throne so that when future occupants ascended they would sit with their robes pulled to one side to enable those behind to check the dangley bits.
That’s why it’s called the Holy See…
Sussan Ley Environment Minister is appealing the court’s decision after they ruled in favour of the children.
She also gleefully environmentally approved huge extensions of 3 Coal mines in the last month, going against the local people who will be affected, as well as waterways, plant and animal species.
What a great person to have in charge of that portfolio 🙁
I would have thought it not being demonstrably true was the only reason.
Honestly I think that’s the least of it.
Would it be appropriate to say thank God someone is now bringing this man’s hypocrisy and anti democracy to hopefully greater notice. I have been saying this for quite a while. Australia stands at a existential crisis point. By that I mean a total change in how we govern in this country.