Like the fictions of “Labor bullying” that obsessed the press gallery recently, claims from multiple parties that Scott Morrison made offensive comments about Michael Towke’s background — in his quest to undermine the man who’d thrashed him in the Cook preselection — are unlikely to reach out into the real world.
To be fair, some in the press gallery have diligently followed up on Concetta Fierravanti-Wells’ dramatic budget-night speech: Karen Middleton at The Saturday Paper followed by David Crowe at Nine secured the statutory declarations confirming Fierravanti-Wells’ claims. They allege Morrison used Towke’s Lebanese heritage to undermine his win in Cook, and that Morrison wrongly claimed Towke was “Moslem”.
Morrison has form on the issue. In 2011, Lenore Taylor, at what was then Fairfax, reported that Morrison had urged shadow cabinet to try to exploit what he claimed were community concerns about Muslim immigrants and their inability to “integrate”.
Morrison denied the Taylor story, like he denies the claims by Towke and others. But Morrison always denies. That’s the basis for many of the 50+ lies and falsehoods that Crikey can demonstrate he’s told in recent years — a blunt denial that something which demonstrably occurred, or that he clearly said, ever happened.
And it could be that a remarkable list of people — preselection rivals, factional opponents, parliamentary colleagues, shadow cabinet and cabinet colleagues, journalists, former prime ministers, international leaders, senators from other parties — are all motivated by bitterness or disgruntlement towards Morrison and are prepared to make things up about him.
But while the belief that Morrison is a habitual liar has slowly penetrated first the press gallery and then the wider public consciousness — simply because he’s done it so often — the Cook preselection, now 15 years in the past, isn’t likely to register. For some racist voters, it might improve their view of Morrison to hear allegations he’s an anti-Muslim bigot, and perhaps lure them back from One Nation and other extremist parties. For most, they’ll merely hear about one politician backstabbing another and, well, what’s new about that?
The cost for Morrison is in the thwarted budget-selling campaign, which almost from the get-go has been accompanied by questions about Fierravanti-Wells and, now, evidence to back up her claims. For a budget that is intended to be the centrepiece of the government’s efforts to close a ten-point polling gap in six weeks, every day last week was crucial given the media cycle now rapidly moves on from even the biggest-spending budget.
For now, we wait for Morrison to call the election. Everything else is a sideshow. But Morrison can’t call the election until legal proceedings involving the NSW Liberal Party are sorted out — the very ructions that led Fierravanti-Wells to take up arms last week. The whole sordid affair of the Cook preselection might end up bookending Morrison’s entire career.
Yep, it’s more of, the same old, same old, nothing to see here, move along.
And in all fairness to Slowmo, underhanded, backstabbing, and branch stacking by the NSW right is, “par for the course”.
I’d be shocked to the core if it was alleged that the preselection was complete, free, fair, and aboveboard.
But what I find interesting is every time the Lib’s finally get some positive traction in their election campaign, they get shut down by one of their own and we are not even in the campaign proper yet.
Yes, if these allegations have any effect it will be because of their content so much as the fact that they are all coming from his side of politics. I suspect that may persuade a few Liberal voters to look to independents, but their preferences will flow back to the Liberals. A long shot is that if a Lib government depends on the support of independents, they may make it a condition that someone like Frydenberg replaces Morrison.
Albanese is playing very low-key on the issue. Abbott would be all over it, as would Morrison if it were Albanese. We’d be getting every answer to every question turned into raising Albanese’s character and lack of unity in Labor. Look how Rudd was assassinated by Murdoch and Abbott when Roxon and Swan traduced him – those were the headlines for days.
The problem for Albo is that the vast majority of voters think that the vast majority of politicians are liars, self serving and narcissistic. Therefore they think that Morrison is no different to all the other pollies and don’t mark him down for it. Frydenberg’ s hand out of a bag of lollies may well swing the pendulum back in Morrison’s favour, as again most voters only look at what’s in it for them, with very short term memories on big picture stuff like submarines, global warming, Job Keeper hand outs to mates, car park and associated rorts, dumb criticism o all fading away in the collective memory.
I think you’re right, PB … everyone we’ve spoken to says something along the lines of, “doesn’t matter which side gets in, they’re all corrupt and useless” (which in turn frustrates me even further).
Assuming this true about all corrupt and useless, wouldnt you as a voter then swing with each election ensure any entrenched corruption/cronyism on either side is kept to a minimum? So this time Labor only if LNP has been in for 9 years and corruptions is likely higher.
Absolutely spot on, which Is why it is so easy for a group of cynical politicians to do what they like and get away with it. Arguably much of the Australian electorate is irresponsible towards subsequent generations who will have to deal so painfully with the massive problems facing the country.
Another perspective might see the mainstream press, which is finally giving some energy to this aspect of Morrison’s persona, as helping get Morrison evicted from his position before the imminent election in the hope that Frydenberg will become PM. Thus the wish of the mainstream to see their natural party of government returned could come true. There is always the parallel with Bob Hawke and Bill Hayden in 1983 to draw upon, though that is far too back for the memory of the average voter.
That ‘they’re all the same’ line has been fostered by commentators who then further report on it as the voters’ disillusionment with politics and politicians (a feedback loop, which is only broken when or if the Labor party looks like winning, when the policies have to be scrutinised to find the differences which the nation can’t afford – see the editorial in The Age last Friday). Most of the commentators are working for media with a vested interest in the return of the coalition. The argument that all politicians are scoundrels, or one party is the same as the any other, is merely an argument for the status quo – in other words the conservative position – dressed up as some kind of common wisdom.
It’s the ” We’re really rotten and corrupt, vote for us because the other side could be worse!” method of keeping the status quo.
Couldnt agree more. Very tiresome how the media, and anyone else just excuse Scomo with the message that they are all the same..It’s a message LNP happy to spread to dilute the opprobrium which they’ve earned. It riles me when I see Albo conflated with Morrison – they are VERY different animals, and it’s pretty obvious which has higher standards. I am also applalled at how I havent yet heard the ABC call out the lies or even comment on the difference between the 2 parties. In days gone by we would have had the “fair” but totally justified demolition of the LNP by now.
Collective ‘whataboutery’; a particular niche libertarian nativist finance outfit attracting working age &/or retired males does it to encourage sticking to the LNP status quo.
‘…preselection rivals, factional opponents, parliamentary colleagues, shadow cabinet and cabinet colleagues, journalists, former prime ministers, international leaders, senators from other parties…’
That’s a formidable number of people who are taking aim at Morrison because they’re ‘disappointed.’
For pity’s sake, get this bloody election over with so I know whether I have to emigrate to be able to tolerate the next 3 years. All the speculation about how a demonstrable lying vacuous grub like Morrison can win the election is making me ill.
I suspect that Scomo wasn’t being racist per se, rather using Towke’s race to opportunistically white ant him, a la “don’t you think him being Lebenese will stand against him in this electorate, given Cronulla?”
Yep I think you’re right. Morrison isn’t necessarily racist or anti-muslim, he will just and say do anything to get what he wants. Like Concetta FW said – he has no moral compass.