The list of politicians and prominent figures who have called Prime Minister Scott Morrison a bully — on or off the record — grows longer by the day.
Here’s an incomplete list of the PM’s bully list.
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
In her exit speech to Parliament, the NSW Liberal MP labelled Morrison an “autocrat [and] a bully who has no moral compass”. She went on to tell the Senate that he was “not fit to be prime minister” and that he and Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has “destroyed the Liberal Party” by intervening in NSW branch preselections.
Morrison has a history of responding to claims by women of bullying by framing them as emotionally unstable and put Fierravanti-Wells’ harsh words down to “Connie” being very “disappointed” after being relegated to an unwinnable spot on the Liberal Party’s NSW Senate ticket.
Pauline Hanson
One Nation founder Pauline Hanson was quick to back up Fierravanti-Wells’ claims: “He is a bully. I have experienced it myself. He is a man that says he will do it my way or no way.”
Jacqui Lambie
Outspoken independent Senator Jacqui Lambie was the next cab off the rank, telling a Sky News reporter the PM was “one of the most unpleasant men I’ve ever had to sit in front of. He is a bully. To Scott Morrison it is all about power. It is certainly not about putting the best person in the job. It’s not about merit or credit. As long as you’re in Scott Morrison’s inner circle and you bow down to him, you will be a minister. That is how it works up here, mate.”
Oof. And that’s just this week.
Julia Banks
Last year former Liberal MP Julia Banks made headlines when she described Morrison as a “menacing, controlling wallpaper” who was in control of “bully boys” who had hounded her while she was in Parliament. Banks quit the Liberal Party in 2018, and in 2021 claimed she was the victim of media backgrounding by the prime minister and his followers, aimed to tarnish her reputation and cast aspersions on her mental and emotional state.
Gladys Berejiklian
Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian allegedly told colleagues that she doesn’t like dealing with Morrison because he is “evil” and a “bully”. She denied making these comments, but hasn’t denied that she called Morrison a “horrible, horrible person” who she “did not trust” in texts to another senior Liberal — although she does say she “doesn’t recall” sending these messages.
Christine Holgate
Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate said Morrison’s dressing-down of her during a parliamentary question time when he pushed for her resignation was “one of the worst acts of bullying I’ve ever witnessed” and an “utter disgrace”.
Grace Tame
Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has frequently and publicly called the prime minister out for his bullying behaviour. To list all the times she has warned us about Morrison’s character would fill the pages of another article. Instead this four-word tweet sums it up perfectly.
Of all of these women’s descriptions, the most penetrating assessment I think was Banks’ “menacing wallpaper” which I thought a bit obtuse when I first saw it, but it grows and grows in your consciousness.
Lambie’s “the most unpleasant man ever to sit in front of” may well develop that cut-through, if it is repeated a few times.
Yes, it paints a picture of an obsessional micromanager, who needs people to succumb to his will. And totally at odds with the good bloke Scomo image, that he relentlessly tries to curate.
Yeah, we’re really getting an insight into why he got fired from both the Australian and NZ Tourism Boards. I suspected-and still do-that the primary reason was some kind of embezzlement by him, but I am guessing his bullying played a part as well.
Yep, and explains why he belongs to the Hillsong cult where the women belong
to the father then the husband.
Yes, but remember, he claims that he “hasn’t been to Hillsong for about 15 years”. It’s a totally different, happy clappy, Jesus will send you money, pentecostal cult; that’s not at all like Hillsong.
The ol obsessional micromanager routine. Guaranteed to turn a workplace totally toxic. Very good description. Thanks for that.
I do hope that Labor uses some of these character assessments, in their election advertising. Especially if Morrison is trying his, who do you trust, routine. And of course, there’s a few more that they can choose from.
“A hypocrite and a liar”, from Barnaby Joyce.
“A fraud and a complete psycho”, from an unnamed federal cabinet minister.
And I suspect that Malcolm Turnbull might be sitting on a few assessments, that may have been sent to him after he was shafted by Morrison?
Yeah but those three are blokes. It’s the fact that women, who have long kept silent about their treatment, are now speaking up that is the big change. And it’s said to be influencing the women’s vote.
Go back to Tourism New Zealand, Tourism Australia, Pre Selection suspicions, the Waleed Ali claims, Towke claims . The almost daily claims from former colleagues. Not just a pattern of behavior but an unacceptable pattern for someone wanting to be reelected as PM .How long will it be before the next expose ?.
Now that I’ve pressed ‘play’ on the Jacqui Lambie interview above, I do recommend other people do so. I don’t know who the Sky hack is, but he did try his best to toe the LNP line. Unfortunately for him, he just wasn’t prepared for the evisceration that came his way.
She’s a beauty that Jacqui. Rough diamond still cuts.
And her comments on the Port of Darwin were spot-on!
Didn’t Turnbull call him something similar in his memoir? And of course there’s our deputy PM’s assessment that he is a liar and a hypocrite
Wilkinson & Pickett a well respected pair of sociological researchers capture the essence of Morrison very well in their book “The Inner Level” (2018). In their book they refer to the ‘pathological narcissist. The pathological narcissist is often characterized as lacking in empathy, reacting badly to criticism and being excessively preoccupied with themselves, with success and their image. The pathological narcissist has no compunction in lying, cheating, cutting corners and bending/breaking rules in his/her quest for power. In this they are not that far removed from some of our wealthiest business leaders
Wilkinson & Pickett further contend that narcissists ‘tend to be regarded as effective leaders probably because of the confidence they exude. Morrison’s arrogance and aggression also most likely explains his higher popularity among dis-empowered males than among females. However, they argue that narcissists like Morrison become increasingly unpopular as their ‘arrogance and aggression come to the fore.