It’s important to understand that Scott Morrison not merely doesn’t lie — as he insisted to Neil Mitchell on Friday — but he’s never wrong either. Unlike the rest of us, he never makes a mistake, or misspeaks — or if he does it’s for wholly understandable reasons that applied at the time, such as journalists confusing him with their questions.
So back in May when Morrison told Mitchell about Taiwan, “We’ve always understood the one system, two countries arrangement and we will continue to follow our policies there … One country, two systems, I should say,” he hadn’t make a mistake. He hadn’t confused Hong Kong — where we have a one-country, two-systems policy — with Taiwan, where we don’t recognise its status as an independent country but only “acknowledge” China’s claim to the island.
Despite his own office briefing journalists that he’d made a mistake and was referring to Hong Kong, when asked by SBS if he’d made a mistake, Morrison said he hadn’t erred at all.
It would have been straightforward for Morrison to admit he’d got confused and only the churlish would have had a go at him over it. But instead he doubled down and lied — and in the process, made another mistake, saying: “What we know is that we have a situation with China in which we’ve recognised how they see these relationships in the region, and particularly in relation to Taiwan and Hong Kong and things of that nature.”
Australia of course does not recognise China’s claim to Taiwan — indeed, lately it seems gung-ho for military assistance for Taiwan in the event China seeks to reclaim it.
Lying’s one thing — but spoiling your own militaristic anti-China narrative along the way is particularly careless.
Join Bernard Keane tonight in conversation with Janine Perrett and The Ethics Centre’s Dr Simon Longstaff as they launch Keane’s new book Lies and Falsehoods: The Morrison Government and the New Culture of Deceit.
There once was a dag from the shire,
A career built on being a liar,
Now the climate has changed
He’s seen as deranged.
Don’t look now, but his pants are on fire.
It must be exhausting for Morrison to engage in relentless ducking & weaving every waking hour. It’s wearying for us merely as observers.
Exactly what I was thinking!
Maaaate..all that ducking n weaving gives him a reason n purpose to get out of bed every morning ..
I am so pleased to see words such as mendacious and dissembling making a resurgence.
Neil Mitchell is a dud, didn’t follow up, just moved on to the next question. See, box ticked, aren’t I a fair person?
Bernard you are incorrect on one point. Australia does recognise China’s claim to Taiwan under the 1972 Joint communique.
China, Taiwan and Australia all subscribe to the view that there is one China, not two. Australia doesn’t recognise Taiwan as a separate nation state.
That is my understanding as well…also think PJ Keating (and others) have made this historical assessment recently, which has been part of international law governing the relationship between China and Taiwin for decades.
Sorry…Taiwan!
What Bernard says is correct. Australia “acknowledges” China’s claim to Taiwan which is much more accurate than the word “recognises” which could imply acceptance.
It still states that there is just “One China” not two (the PRC and the ROC). Taiwan is not a member state of the UN, is not recognised as a Sovereign nation and we (and 99% of the world) have no Diplomatic Relations with the ROC. You need to read the entire Communiqué not just pick out the parts that you like.
No it doesn’t.