It’s all very well for us to say how much we deplore the arrogance of our Prime Minister, but as Aussies who live under his ‘rule’ we can’t avoid the awkward fact that those who live elsewhere may see us as tarred with the same brush! How easy would it be for them to believe arrogance is an Australian characteristic? His behaviour taints us all.
So when he represents us in international fora, what he says, and the attitude he exhibits, reflect on all of us. Just as does the behaviour of a religious leader whom we might follow, or the top person in a club to which we belong. They not only represent us; their persona also has an impact upon us.
How many of you were embarrassed by PM Morrison’s response to the Biden-sponsored forum on climate change involving 40 world leaders? I certainly was. Any of you who wish to peruse the details of the forum
can find them here.
In introducing the summit, Biden said:
"The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable. But the cost of inaction keeps mounting.
Did that impact upon our PM? No! Did he make you as uncomfortable as he did me by telling the world that he will run his own race irrespective of other countries and their opinions?In announcing Australia’s response, with characteristic arrogance, he refused to bow to pressure from the US to use the summit to announce an increased target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He told an astonished summit:
"We are well on the way to meet our Paris commitments," thereby laying bare the gulf between Australia and many of its key allies in how best to tackle the climate crisis. He added:
“We'll update our long-term emissions reduction strategy in time for the Glasgow COP26 climate action conference" scheduled for November.
In a recent revelation, offered in
a speech to a live audience at the Australian Christian Churches conference on the Gold Coast last week, Morrison claimed he was called upon to do
“God’s work as Prime Minister of Australia”. In the same address he labelled social media as
“the work of the devil”.
What do you think? Those of you who believe they have a fix on Morrison’s nature and intentions may be living in fantasy land. While there is bound to be a diversity of opinion, who can avoid the conclusion that his unbridled arrogance is obvious? And that it is dangerous?
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