One of Scott Morrison’s characteristics as a liar is his focus on denying his own words and actions.
Unlike other leaders, the prime minister is less interested in lying about his political opponents — although he does that too — than in stopping his words and actions being held against him (otherwise known as basic accountability).
That’s the background to a cracking lie from September 2019 about the long-departed Labor senator Sam Dastyari, forced out of politics by his links with Chinese figures.
The Coalition had feasted off Dastyari’s woes and poor judgment in 2016, including Morrison, who labelled him “Shanghai Sam“. Just in case you’re wondering if maybe a staffer who was operating Morrison’s Twitter account was responsible for that, Morrison used it three times in a matter of minutes on Sky News.
As so often happens in politics, though, the pendulum swung the other way, and three years later Liberal member for Chisholm Grace Liu found herself under fire for her links with Chinese figures, and her refusal to criticise the Beijing regime. Labor’s criticism of Liu was, Morrison claimed, “casting a smear on Chinese Australians”. The following day, Morrison was asked a straightforward and obvious question: “Why was it racist to question Gladys Liu’s connections to China but it wasn’t racist to call Sam Dastyari ‘Shanghai Sam’?”
“I didn’t use either of those phrases,” Morrison blithely replied.
As we’ve repeatedly pointed out about Morrison, the fact that his lies can easily be checked doesn’t deter him any more than it deterred former US president Donald Trump. His own website shows he was lying. Unusually, the media actually chased Morrison down on the lie. His explanation? “I was referring to the word racist that I heard twice in the question and I’ve got to say my focus was on the bushfires.”
That statement, of course, makes no sense whatsoever. How “I didn’t use either of those phrases” can relate to a single word “racist” is beyond the comprehension of anyone with even a passing acquaintance with the English language.
What evidently happened was that some genius in his office, asked to devise a plausible excuse for his blatant lie, carefully examined the question, saw that “racist” was used twice, noted that Morrison used “either” and thought that was enough to hang an excuse off. It was half-arsed, even by the lazy standards of Morrison’s office.
“I’ve got to say my focus was on the bushfires.”
Narrator’s voice: It wasn’t
Another lie.
I think he is a firebug – lighting fires under both China & France. I wonder whose next?
He has already lit one under the US too.
Nobody with any credibility left would do that, would they?
This country – though the east coast might manage if La Niña hangs on until mid 2022.
After that, it’s inevitable that the ideal growing conditions of the last mild, wet seasons will mean massive quantities of detritus lying, drying on the forest floor, ready to combust…along with those exploding cowpats.
Capt Cook called this “a land of fire” because of the constant smoke he noted as they sailed north along the east.
Those constant & frequent small burns were why the first explorers over the GDR found “the greatest estate on Earth, resembling an English gentleman’s grounds”.
It was rapidly returning to wilderness due to massive depopulation from exotic disease following the first encounter in Botany Bay, leaving their garbage & faecal matter on the shore.
The several weeks spent on the FN Qld coast repairing the Endeavour after running into the Great Barrier Reef had an even greater effect on the locals.
And Cook did not, as told as one of Smirko’s more obvious lies, circumnavigate Terra Australis!
Psychopaths are compulsive liars – its part of their trade
The PMs faith is continually mentioned in comments and rightfully so. Obviously many people wonder about his decision-making and to what degree he is guided by a mythical master.
How many of the PM’s falsehoods and foot-in-mouth international gaffs does he believe are passed by divine guidance? Does he believe any mistakes such as lack of leadership on climate change can be reversed by the mythical leader who created the world in 6 days according to a minority religious cult?
Is the PM a proper person to lead this country with the challenges we face?
His mythical master commanded that his followers “should love their neighbours!” Does morrison obey that command from the Bossman himself?
In the army disobeying a lawful command generally leads to court martial. Christians do NOT lock up refugees!
There’s no point asking what Scummo believes – he doesn’t believe in anything except Scummo, certainly not god. He says what he thinks will get him what he wants at the time, but doesn’t believe anything at all, or even care
I tend to agree with you. There’s an amorality about him that’s hard to reconcile with what we think about religion. To the extent he’s genuinely religious, I think he’s selected & crafted his God to suit his own self belief.
Doesn’t everyone to some extent? Even atheists.
Oh, I think he does believe in a god. Him being that god.
Nailed it.
“A self made man who worships his creator.”
“Funny(?)”, watching Insiders, how many in the media are so happy to indulge him and defend his habits.
Yesterday Coorey was trying to lay blame off on Macron – for “should have known about Morrison’s sub subterfuge” : then agreed with Spivsy that neither Dutton nor Payne had raised the subject when given the opportunity, with meetings with their French counterparts?
Oh, I am getting heartily sick of “Spivsy” using his position on the Insiders to give the ,sometimes, very dodgy journalists credibility by asking them onto the insiders panel.
As for the morning when he allowed Peter van Onslow clear airtime to defend his “Friend” Christian Porter’s reputation.
I was as gobsmacked as Annabel Crabb, completely flummoxed.
I didn’t know that anybody still watched Insiders. Why would you?
The “Talking Pictures” is by far the most informative section but only 5 minutes – it should be expanded to replace the ludicrous 20mins pollie interview which could be given its 5mins slot and save a lot of teeth grinding and yelling at the screen.
Luckily, for voter elucidation, Viellaris (on couple of time after Spivsy took over) made her Limited News Brisbane Curry or Maul Coalition puff-piece PR tenure official, when she went to work full-time doing Dutton’s PR.
If that’s some ABC clown’s idea of ‘balance’ – to have these hacks on – just because they “work in media” – why not go the full hog and have press political party secretaries on, or some party limpet?
FFS, they’re little different to anyone on social media in the way they use their position to pimp one party over others in their ‘medium’ – but because they’re “media” makes them “special”?
I am still waiting for Coorey’s follow-up to his sickening “Woman Who Saved Australia” puff-piece, or at a minimum a heart-felt apology to the nation. It makes otherwise good TV (Insiders, Q&A, etc) virtually unwatchable when they have on the likes of Coorey, Gerard Henderson, Allan Jones, Matt Canavan… But I guess if they don’t invite them on, the ABC will have their budget savaged further by the LNP fascists for being a “mouthpiece of the Communist Party”.
One thing we could believe about Trump was that every word he uttered was a lie or a distortion. Much harder to read our PM who lies un lies and the re lies as he attempts to spin the truth . More like a Dervish than a PM
I don’t blame Morrison. He is what he is. He knows the Australian people who vote for him will do so no matter how many porkies he comes up with. If you are on a good thing, stick with it. It worked for Trump, why not Scotmo? Throw in a few million, call winning by one seat a “miracle” and God’s on his side too. Or so he would have you believe.
Why not? Because one expects politicians to be working fof their constituents and their country,
not to build their financial wealth, not to make announcements but never carry through, not to
blatantly lie and then lie about obvious lies. And definitely not for self-agrandisement and not
to be shuffled upwards after repated failures by cult members looking out to make more money.
You can’t blame a rat if it contaminates your food. That is what rats do. Don’t let it have access to your pantry!
Hopefully he follows Trumps loser status in the next election – especially if Dutton dives with him. Maybe we can start mending Foreign Relations fences.