Scott Morrison announces his decision to step down from Parliamentary role: ‘It’s been a great honour’
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Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that he will be stepping away from the political arena.
In a surprising turn of events, Morrison has declared his retirement from politics, effective from the end of February when the federal parliament reconvenes for the year.
In a statement posted on social media, Morrison revealed his decision to retire, citing his desire to 'take on new challenges in the global corporate sector and spend more time with my family'.
He said his time in politics was a great honour.
Morrison's social media post read: 'Just letting you know (especially everyone locally) that after more than 16 years as the Member for Cook, I have decided to leave parliament at the end of February to take on new challenges in the global corporate sector and spend more time with my family.'
‘I am extremely grateful to my family, friends, local community and local party members and supporters in Cook for their incredible support during this time, [which] has enabled me to serve my country at the highest level and make Australia a stronger, more secure and more prosperous country.’
‘It has been a great honour to serve as the member for Cook and as prime minister.’
‘I also thank my staff and parliamentary colleagues over the years for their friendship and support, especially my deputy leader Josh Frydenberg and deputy PMs Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce.’
‘I also want to wish Peter Dutton and his team all the very best and congratulate him on the great job he has done leading our party and the Coalition since the last election. The Shire and southern Sydney is a great place to live and raise a family,’ he added.
‘I have always worked hard to try and keep it that way as their local member.’
‘By giving advance notice of my intention to leave parliament at the end of February, this will give my Party ample time to select a great new candidate who I know will do what's best for our community and bring fresh energy and commitment to the job.’
He continued: ‘I now look forward to continue to enjoying local life here in the Shire and my church community at Horizon with my family and friends, and as always #upupcronulla.’
‘I will post a formal statement in the comments below.’
In his separate statement, the former PM said he ‘would be taking up a series of global strategic advisory roles and private boards, focused on the US and Indo-Pacific’.
You can check Morrison’s post below:
Credit: @scottmorrisonmp / Instagram
Morrison has been out of the main political spotlight since his party lost the big election in 2022.
He kept a low profile in parliament, except for rejecting a proposal about Indigenous representation last May.
He has also faced criticism for past controversies.
In late 2022, he got in trouble for secretly giving himself five government roles during the pandemic.
Also, his involvement in the Robodebt scheme faced more scrutiny after a Royal Commission report was released last year.
Despite all this, Morrison has defended his actions in both situations.
Morrison's political journey has been a rollercoaster filled with triumphs, controversies, and challenges.
He first entered the federal parliament as a member of the southern Sydney seat of Cook in 2007.
His political career saw him ascend to various ministerial roles, including immigration minister under Tony Abbott in 2013 and treasurer under Malcolm Turnbull.
In 2018, when Turnbull's support within the Liberal Party crumbled, Morrison emerged victorious in the leadership race.
He led the Coalition to a surprise victory in the 2019 federal election, marking the pinnacle of his political career.
Morrison's tenure as prime minister was largely defined by the pandemic.
His government's response to the crisis, including the creation of the National Cabinet and the implementation of the Jobkeeper package, earned him both praise and criticism.
Despite the challenges, Morrison's leadership during the pandemic was lauded by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Dutton praised Morrison's quick decision to close the border, which he said saved Australian lives.
He was commended as well in the formation of the AUKUS defence agreement with the US and the UK.
‘In the time he led our country, Scott presided over some of the most difficult challenges an Australian prime minister has known since the Second World War; most notably COVID-19,’ Dutton said.
‘Thanks to Scott's quick decision to close the border, Australian lives were saved. And thanks to his government's Jobeeper package, more than 1 million businesses were supported and more than 4 million Australians had their jobs saved…’
‘But if there is a standout achievement of his government, it was the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.’
‘AUKUS will underpin our defence and deterrence for decades to come.’
However, Morrison's government also faced criticism for the delay in obtaining and rolling out COVID-19 vaccines.
His decision to holiday in Hawaii during the height of the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 also drew intense scrutiny.
Morrison's departure from parliament will trigger a by-election for Cook later this year. This comes on top of another by-election for Dunkley, in Melbourne, scheduled for Saturday, 2 March, following the death of Labor MP Peta Murphy last year.
In his post-politics life, Morrison is scheduled to release a book in May covering his religious faith and time as prime minister.
How do you think this will impact the political landscape? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
In a surprising turn of events, Morrison has declared his retirement from politics, effective from the end of February when the federal parliament reconvenes for the year.
In a statement posted on social media, Morrison revealed his decision to retire, citing his desire to 'take on new challenges in the global corporate sector and spend more time with my family'.
He said his time in politics was a great honour.
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that he is quitting parliament. Credit: Scott Morrison (ScoMo) / Facebook
Morrison's social media post read: 'Just letting you know (especially everyone locally) that after more than 16 years as the Member for Cook, I have decided to leave parliament at the end of February to take on new challenges in the global corporate sector and spend more time with my family.'
‘I am extremely grateful to my family, friends, local community and local party members and supporters in Cook for their incredible support during this time, [which] has enabled me to serve my country at the highest level and make Australia a stronger, more secure and more prosperous country.’
‘It has been a great honour to serve as the member for Cook and as prime minister.’
‘I also thank my staff and parliamentary colleagues over the years for their friendship and support, especially my deputy leader Josh Frydenberg and deputy PMs Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce.’
‘I also want to wish Peter Dutton and his team all the very best and congratulate him on the great job he has done leading our party and the Coalition since the last election. The Shire and southern Sydney is a great place to live and raise a family,’ he added.
‘I have always worked hard to try and keep it that way as their local member.’
‘By giving advance notice of my intention to leave parliament at the end of February, this will give my Party ample time to select a great new candidate who I know will do what's best for our community and bring fresh energy and commitment to the job.’
He continued: ‘I now look forward to continue to enjoying local life here in the Shire and my church community at Horizon with my family and friends, and as always #upupcronulla.’
‘I will post a formal statement in the comments below.’
In his separate statement, the former PM said he ‘would be taking up a series of global strategic advisory roles and private boards, focused on the US and Indo-Pacific’.
You can check Morrison’s post below:
Credit: @scottmorrisonmp / Instagram
Morrison has been out of the main political spotlight since his party lost the big election in 2022.
He kept a low profile in parliament, except for rejecting a proposal about Indigenous representation last May.
He has also faced criticism for past controversies.
In late 2022, he got in trouble for secretly giving himself five government roles during the pandemic.
Also, his involvement in the Robodebt scheme faced more scrutiny after a Royal Commission report was released last year.
Despite all this, Morrison has defended his actions in both situations.
Morrison's political journey has been a rollercoaster filled with triumphs, controversies, and challenges.
He first entered the federal parliament as a member of the southern Sydney seat of Cook in 2007.
His political career saw him ascend to various ministerial roles, including immigration minister under Tony Abbott in 2013 and treasurer under Malcolm Turnbull.
In 2018, when Turnbull's support within the Liberal Party crumbled, Morrison emerged victorious in the leadership race.
He led the Coalition to a surprise victory in the 2019 federal election, marking the pinnacle of his political career.
Morrison's tenure as prime minister was largely defined by the pandemic.
His government's response to the crisis, including the creation of the National Cabinet and the implementation of the Jobkeeper package, earned him both praise and criticism.
Despite the challenges, Morrison's leadership during the pandemic was lauded by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Dutton praised Morrison's quick decision to close the border, which he said saved Australian lives.
He was commended as well in the formation of the AUKUS defence agreement with the US and the UK.
‘In the time he led our country, Scott presided over some of the most difficult challenges an Australian prime minister has known since the Second World War; most notably COVID-19,’ Dutton said.
‘Thanks to Scott's quick decision to close the border, Australian lives were saved. And thanks to his government's Jobeeper package, more than 1 million businesses were supported and more than 4 million Australians had their jobs saved…’
‘But if there is a standout achievement of his government, it was the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.’
‘AUKUS will underpin our defence and deterrence for decades to come.’
However, Morrison's government also faced criticism for the delay in obtaining and rolling out COVID-19 vaccines.
His decision to holiday in Hawaii during the height of the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 also drew intense scrutiny.
Morrison's departure from parliament will trigger a by-election for Cook later this year. This comes on top of another by-election for Dunkley, in Melbourne, scheduled for Saturday, 2 March, following the death of Labor MP Peta Murphy last year.
In his post-politics life, Morrison is scheduled to release a book in May covering his religious faith and time as prime minister.
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