Hon. Scott Morrison MP
30th Prime Minister of Australia
Federal Member for Cook
Hon Scott Morrison MP served as the 30th Prime Minister of Australia from 2018-2022.
As Prime Minster, Mr Morrison led Australia through the global COVID 19 pandemic, delivering one of the lowest COVID fatality rates, highest vaccination rates and strongest economic responses in the developed world.
Mr Morrison was a founding member of the Quad Leaders dialogue with the United States, Japan and India, architect of the landmark 2021 AUKUS defence and security agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom which gave Australia coveted access to US nuclear submarine and other advanced defence technologies and achieved the first reciprocal access defence agreement with Japan.
The Morrison Government also established the first ever Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN, the first digital economy agreement with Singapore, the first free trade agreement with the United Kingdom post Brexit and Australia’s free trade agreement with India.
Mr Morrison was the first Australian Prime Minister to commit his country to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, supported by a $21 Billion Low emissions technology fund to pioneer and commercialise new low emissions energy technologies.
Domestically, under the Morrison Government, Australia’s unemployment was reduced to its lowest level in 48 years at 3.9%, was one of only nine counties to maintain their AAA credit rating from all major international ratings agencies, achieved the highest rates of labour force trade training on economic record in Australia, restored defence spending to more than 2% of GDP and delivered record investments in health and education services including on mental health and suicide prevention, which he established as a national priority.
Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Mr Morrison served as Federal Treasurer for three years where he designed and implemented major income tax, banking, housing, consumer data right and financial technology reforms and restored the federal budget to balance prior to the 2020 pandemic. He also served as Minister for Social Services and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, where he established Australia’s highly successful border protection regime through Operation Sovereign Borders and the creation of the Australian Border Force.
Mr Morrison was made a Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit by the President of the United States in December 2020 for leadership in addressing global challenges, was awarded the Jerusalem Prize by the World Zionist Organisation in 2019 for services to the Australian Jewish Community and the Australia-Israel relationship and was awarded the inaugural Grotius Prize by UK Policy Exchange in 2021 for his work and support of the international rules based order.
Mr Morrison continues to serve as a member of the Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives as the Member for Cook in southern Sydney, where he was first elected in 2007.
Prior to entering politics Mr Morrison worked in the tourism, sport, major events and commercial real estate sectors including as Managing Director of Tourism Australia and Director of the New Zealand Office of Tourism and Sport.
Mr Morrison graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) in Applied Economic Geography from the University of New South Wales in Sydney in 1986.
Mr Morrison has been married to Jenny since 1990. They have two teenage daughters and live together in southern Sydney’s Sutherland Shire. Mr Morrison is a keen follower of sport, especially the Australian National Rugby League and the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, where he is number one ticket holder. Mr Morrison and his family are active members of their local church community and he serves as a Patron of a number of community and charitable organisations.
