It is finally time to say goodbye to Scott Morrison after 16 years in politics, including four the most unhinged years during which he led our country. In his farewell speech to Parliament yesterday, Morrison said he did not want to “bullet point list” his achievements… Make of that what you will. But we couldn’t resist the urge to publish a final statement of our own. After all, the man’s response to losing the 2022 election was “We don’t trust in governments…thank goodness.” When it came to your government in particular, at least you ensured the feeling was truly mutual.
Morrison, while you say you are leaving the political arena “unburdened by offenses and released from any bitterness,” the youth of Australia can’t say the same. The image of you soaking up the sun in Hawaii, while the entire world watched Australia burn, is not one any of us will ever forget. It was then, and remains now, a stark reminder of your lack of urgency and action in addressing climate change, a global crisis that Australia is uniquely positioned to feel the brunt of. Bitter, we stay.
You also took aim at China in your speech, asserting “[Beijing] would prefer power to freedom, and care little for the price their own citizens pay to achieve their ends.” It was a bold statement, and one that seems rather ironic given your own penchant for power grabbing. Secretly taking five ministries under your wing was quite the power move, one you never managed to explain convincingly.
But perhaps the longest legacy will be your abysmal track record on women’s issues: from dismissing allegations of rape; to saying that women should not ever have power at the expense of men (“We want to see women rise,but we don’t want to see women rise only on the basis of others doing worse,” said at and International Women’s Day lunch, no less); to sexualising Pamela Anderson when she was advocating for Julian Assange’s freedom; to saying Australian women were “lucky” to be able to protest without getting shot. You consistently failed to defend or protect women in this country – especially those victimised by political predators – and no amount of forced Taylor Swift references in your farewell speech will distract us from that fact.
It’s not like you never had a chance to take accountability, or right your wrongs. Your performance at the Robodebt Royal Commission was yet another low point. A chance to demonstrate accountability instead became a showcase of deflection and denial.
Yesterday, you said: “I leave this place not as one of those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat, I leave having given all in that arena, and there are plenty of scars to show for it.” But the scars aren’t just yours – they’re ours too.
The scars of climate policy negligence will be borne by our environment, our wildlife, and our future generations who will inherit a world more susceptible to extreme weather events and ecological imbalance. The scars from your handling of the COVID-19 pandemic are etched onto the lives of those who lost loved ones, those who lost jobs, and those who bore the brunt of a faltering healthcare system. And the scars of systemic sexism in politics – exposed and exacerbated during your tenure – will continue to inflict pain upon women who deserve respect and protection, not indifference.
These are the scars that matter. These are the wounds that will take time to heal. As we navigate through the aftermath of your leadership, we’ll be dealing with the consequences of these scars for years to come. We can only hope that they serve as stark reminders of the cost of inaction, of indifference, and of misplaced priorities.
Thanks for the memories Scott – this has been a time we will truly never forget.
Coldest Regards,
Team Zee Feed
Smart people read more:
And the award for the worst Liberal leader goes to… – The New Daily
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Scott Morrison Has Turned Australia Into A Dystopia. We Must Remember This Shit When We Vote – Pedestrian TV
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