‘Good Riddance’: Scott Morrison Announces He Is Retiring

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday announced that he was retiring from politics, ending his 16-year term in Parliament, including four as Prime Minister. 

Morrison is best known for holidaying in Hawaii as the country battled bushfires in 2019 and failing in his bid as PM to enact a Religious Discrimination Bill that would discriminate against the LGBTQI community and other vulnerable groups, 

Morrison took to Facebook to announce his retirement and that he was moving to the “global corporate sector”.

“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,” Morrison said. 

‘Good Riddance’

“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, that 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.”

Morrison, a Pentecostal Christian, ended his post saying he now hopes to enjoy life with his family and Church community. “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,” Morrison said. 

There were no tears shed for the former PM. “I am glad he’ll resign never having implemented his Religious Discrimination Bill, which would have unnecessarily divided the community, and increased discrimination against women, LGBTQ people, people with disability & people from minority faiths,” Alastair Lawrie, LGBTQI rights blogger posted on X (formerly Twitter). 

A social media user responded to the news by saying “good riddance”. 

Against LGBTQI Rights

We do not need ‘gender whisperers’ in our schools. Let kids be kids. https://t.co/POzM26PXU5

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) September 4, 2018

According to TheVoteForYou.Org.Au, Morrison consistently voted against LGBTQI rights and marriage equality in Parliament. 

In 2018, barely a month after he was elected Prime Minister, Morrison posted on X about trans-inclusive school policies. “We do not need ‘gender whisperers’ in our schools. Let kids be kids.” In September 2018, he said he had “no plans” to ban anti-gay conversion practices. In 2022, he defended Tasmanian Senator Claire Chandler’s bill to ban trans kids from sports as “terrific”. 

After his failed bid to get his divisive Religious Discrimination Bill passed, Morrison picked Katherine Deves, known for her anti-LGBTQ statements, as his “captain’s pick” for the Warringah seat.