There are plenty of grounds for criticism of the prime minister.
“SmoKo” Morrison’s response to the bushfire crisis has been politically tone-deaf and a perpetuation of his climate denialism. His do-nothing approach to a floundering economy is costing people jobs and risking future growth. His religious discrimination bill will entrench the capacity of religious bigots to use faith, sexuality, gender and morality to discriminate and withhold health services.
But criticism about Morrison taking a holiday this week is misplaced. Like any worker, Morrison is entitled to a holiday with his partner and family. Like any politician, he is acutely aware of the harsh impacts of political life on families, particularly of anyone who reaches a level of seniority.
The families of politicians pay the price for their being constantly available and working — particularly in the case of frontbenchers — extraordinarily long hours. Begrudging any politician spending precious time with their family is churlish and taking partisanship to an absurd degree, and Anthony Albanese is right to refuse to join the criticism of the prime minister.
The fact that much of the criticism is coming from the left, where rhetoric about the need for family-friendly workplaces and better work-life balance is usually found, adds a rich irony to the commentary.
Do the bushfires mean that Morrison should be on deck in Canberra? Despite efforts to pin the blame for under-resourcing of firefighting on the federal government, dealing with the fires is primarily the responsibility of state governments. Yes, they represent a crisis of climate denialism and a policy failure, but not the kind of disaster that requires prime ministerial attendance.
One Greens state MP says Morrison should “stick around and sort [the bushfires] out”. Quite how he would do that isn’t clear. Besides which, is there ever a good time for a politician to plan a holiday?
And true, as many Labor supporters have noted, the hypocrisy of News Corp is staggering. If a Labor prime minister went on holiday during a fire season like this, they would be savaged in headline after headline in the Murdoch rags. Mark Latham wasn’t even prime minister when he was attacked for failing to return to work in the aftermath of a foreign disaster, the 2004 tsunami.
But that’s on the Murdochs and their grubby minions and stenographers, not Morrison. Criticise Morrison’s woeful policies, but he’s entitled to share time with his family for a few days without being bagged.
He’s meant to be on call – he can take a holiday in the Autumn after the next budget is brought down. If he can’t handle the heat – then get out of the kitchen.
All over Australia are millions of people who have little control over their holiday times, and moreover this man is up to his neck in ripping out penalty rates for people working during holiday periods.
Cry me a river BK, Smoko should be hounded back to work and told to stop being such a “little man” at every turn.
Sorry, but Morrison is not entitled to a criticism-free holiday. Simon is quite right.
Scummo would never have granted Prime Minister Julia Gillard such a thing. Criticism of Scott Morrison’s holiday is warranted: politicians are entitled to spend precious time with their families, who pay the price of public life, but since when has that worried a politician?
One slogan on a trophy in Morrison’s office. “I stopped the boats”.
Another potential slogan on a trophy for Morrison’s office. “Despite being the PM of Australia, I fled with my family from the smog and the fire to Hawaii, whilst the country I led, burned”.
We knew perfectly well from morrison’s relentless, obsessive brutality towards refugees, then more recently morrison’s relentless, obsessive brutality towards vulnerable and marginalised Australians, just what he is like.
Journalists are far too eager to make excuses for a psychopathic bully who has always believed in kicking people when they are down, while never believing that a sucker deserves an even break. Degeneration of politics and government is partly because journalists let bullies and wreckers get away with so much.
It is also Morrison’s hypocrisy, who criticised then Victorian police commissioner Christine Nixon for going out to dinner during bushfires.
In fact, he was relentless in pursuing Christine Nixon for going out to dinner.
I knew he must of had a holiday planned, because, he almost said he thought that climate change had a bit to do with the bush fires.
What I don’t think should be forgiven, is his deliberately sticking his fingers in his ears going, I can’t hear you, La,la la; at the retired fire chiefs.
We would not be in such a mess, if Smoko, could have spared a couple of hours before packing for the next soiree, earlier this year.
IF, of course, the big IF, he believed them and got some extra planes and other equipment, there wouldn’t be a simmering resentment from the rest of us.
The primary responsibility for Fire Services, certainly lies with the states, however, in a cataclysmic season, in the middle of a catastrophic drought, these explosive fires were being forecast very early this year, and nothing was done in preparation by the Federal Government, except Smoko’s holiday bookings.
It appears to a little coy to say “Nothing to do with us”, but, here is 12 million dollars, in the hat and I’m out of here with Jen and the kids.
I say, Ta, Smoko, perhaps you shouldn’t come back.
Given the attacks Morrison made in 2010 about the Victorian chief commissioner Christine Nixon who went out to dinner (was still in Victoria, did not leave the state.) He should wear any criticism, he dishes out anger, division and often outright lies when it suits him politically hardly MORAL leadership. In a disaster the Prime Minister should step up to the plate and defer his holidays to a more suitable time. He is not even spending his money in the Australian economy here.
I disagree, when you are complicit in ensuring children are still in indefinite detention and has happily torn families apart for the continuance of some sort of political ideal, meanwhile knowingly expanding the wealth gap meaning more Australians are in poverty while simultaneously cutting funds to services that could help the mental health and drug issues that rise from this. No, old “you will never be resettled in Australia” fourchan loving Scott does NOT deserve time with his family
Yes he is entitled to a holiday. But taking one overseas? Adding to emissions in this time of terrible bushfires? And schools have not yet finished for the year. Remember when the PM was so critical of kids taking a day away from school to protest about climate change? His daughters are different?
Taking a holiday is fine. The hypocrisy surrounding the destination and timing is galling. But then sensitivity was never the strong suit of the ad industry and its practitioners, including those who were failures at it.
The indifference with which many middle-class parents (left and right) take their kids out of school for holidays never ceases to amaze this reader. When the working class does it, it’s truancy.
His kids go to a private school (naturally!), and private schools usually break up earlier than state schools.
Yes- he has been very out spoken about how he would never send his girls to a state school- he said this as our PM- unbelievable!
I think you have the balance right. There is a motel up at Pheasant’s Nest where John Howard modestly spent his Christmases. Tony Abbott once spent his in a caravan park.
Morrison’s choice here demonstrates to more people than before that he has a tin ear. I can see the cartoonists continuing to depict him with an hibiscus lei for the rest of his term.
Not on any newscorpse paper.