Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
James and Amanda jam Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What was announced yesterday our former Prime Minister Scott Morrison
has decided he'll be leaving politics for good. Where the
bloody hell is he going, Well, let's ask him. Good
morning Scott Morrison.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Good morning, Amana, Good morning jame Zy. I talk to
you again. It's been a.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
While, well it has been a while and you're a
civilian now.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Well soon at the end of February, I'll be standing
down as the Member for Cook which is people know
down in southern Sydney, in the Shire and as of
course you know, jame Z and I'm really thankful to
my local community for all the support they've given to
me over what's been more than sixteen years now in
the Parliament. When you're you know, when you're a prime
minister or Treasurer or everything, the first job you have
(00:43):
is the member of the electric you are in the
Parliament and it's been my great honor and privilege to
serve that community now for a quite a long period
of time and they've just been fantastic. So thanks everyone
down on the Shire in Southern Sydney. I really appreciate
your support and as always Jonesy of up Cronulla.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yes, indeed as a Prime minister during some of the
toughest times we've had during the pandemic, we're just talking
about it before we knew at the time. We'd look
back and think, gee, these these days are terrifying and unprecedented.
Were they your darkest days as our prime minister?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
What? In many respects they were. The challenges with China,
frankly were more even more concerning, and we took very
strong positions there with Orcus and the quad and the
whole range of other things. But certainly for the pandemic,
it was just uncharted territory. You know, you were looking
into the Abyss on a daily basis. No one knew,
(01:36):
particularly in those early months, what this thing was, how
deadly it was. Everyone's livelihoods were at risk, not just
their lives, and I'm just really proud that, you know,
Australia came through that. I know we did have a
perfect response, but I tell you I've done a lot
of work, you know, globally, and we'll be doing more
in the future. And Australia is incredibly respected for the
(01:57):
fact that we had one of the lowest death rates
in the world, one of the strongest economies to come
through it. So Australians pulled through, and as Prime Minister
was police to play my role in leading us through that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And you went through some difficult times. You know, you're
on the show where you said about the bushfire thing,
and then you regretted going to Hawaii and you discussed
that on our very own show, and then you had
the pandemic. It felt to me for a while there.
Can you get any more prickly footballs thrown at you
during your prime ministership?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Well, I don't think we saw over those almost four
years any of the same competination of events we've seen
since the Second World War. I think that's pretty well,
you know, understood and accepted. But that's the nature of
the job, guys. You know, you're elected and you deal
with what you deal with, and you know you can
go in with a whole range of things you'd like
(02:44):
to do, but you've got to deal with the stuff
that comes in Australia's way at that time. And you know,
whether it was on security or whether it was how
we got the economy through, but it was a lot
of other things we did in health, I mean, some
of the drugs that we listed on the on the
PBS cystic fibrosis, the thing which I know Jenny was
particularly passionate about that we did on endometriosis. And as
(03:08):
a prime Minister, and as a minister and as a Treasurer,
you get great opportunities to get a lot done, and
I'm very happy with what we're able to get done
in that time. I never wasted a day. I believe
I gave it everything I've got. And now down in
cook the party will have a chance to select a
new candidate for Liberal Party who I'm sure will come
and bring the same passion and enthusiasm and long term
(03:31):
commitment that I started with more than sixteen years ago.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And what happens now? Where are you off to?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I'm taking up a number of advisory roles, mainly in
the US. With the work I did with the US,
particularly around ORCUS and the defense industry. That's a very
big initiative, very proud of that, and it is very
massively supported over there. It's bipartisan. Over the last eighteen months,
I've actually worked with the government when I've been in
(03:58):
the UK and the US to promote ORCAS and to
make sure everyone there knows it's bipartisan, there's no politics
in it, and particularly with Richard Marlesey and I've worked
together on that, so look, I'll keep doing that. But
you know, I'm move into the private sector and into
private life, and I'm working with Mike Pompeo, who was
former director of the CIA and was the Secretary of
(04:20):
State for Donald Trump and also his National security advisor
Robert O'Brien. I mean, I made some great friendships during
that time as Prime Minister and it's going to be
good working with those guys. And there are a number
of others that I'll be taking up in due course,
but private life and life in the Shire, and you know,
my family, Jenny and the girls sacrificed a lot for
(04:43):
me to do what I did over those years, and
it's time for me to be investing more in what
they'd like to do with their lives and supporting them.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Is it you're resigning from parliament? Is because the guy
that posted the thing about the Ingodeen Macas story has
come out and said that that never happened. He just
made it up.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, that was a look, you take those on the gin,
you don't take yourself too seriously. But you know, I
thought that was a bit unkind, and he went all
over the world.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
All over the bar.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
The guy actually came out and he said, I just
made that up. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
I mean people Jakes to Jake and that's that's fair enough.
But you know, sometimes the jack case of pit bar.
But you know, when you're in politics, you deal with
all sorts of things that come your way. You try,
you always take what you do seriously, but you don't
take yourself too seriously. As my converted up up Cronulla
song for the Jones.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Come on, let's get it on our favorite Amanda the
girl in the red, white and blue whilst came out.
We didn't always see eye to a lot of things,
but you were the Prime Minister. You gave it a
go and.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
During some very difficult times. And all the best to
you and Jenny and the girls.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Well thanks, I'll see on Australia Day, jonesy. Yes, yes,
I know you a big one for that down there
in the shop. We're all looking forward to seeing you.
It'll be a be a great day for everybody comes
along safe and families and everything looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Of course. Good on you mate, you look after you
thank you,