Scott Morrison is about to be handed the Companion of the Order of Australia, which is the country’s highest civilian honour. If you’re wondering why, you’re not alone — especially since Morrison’s time as Prime Minister was, let’s say, eventful.
According to Crikey, the official citation says he’s getting it for “eminent service to the people and Parliament of Australia, particularly as prime minister, to notable contributions to global engagement, to leadership of the national COVID-19 response, to economic initiatives, and to national security enhancements, especially through leadership of Australia’s contribution to AUKUS”.
It’s not just the public raising eyebrows. Crikey points out that Morrison is getting the honour despite, well, a catalogue of controversies that would make most politicians sweat.
From the secret ministries saga — where Morrison quietly appointed himself to five extra portfolios during the pandemic (earning a formal censure from Parliament and a scolding from the Solicitor-General) — to his role in the Robodebt debacle, there’s no shortage of baggage.
The Royal Commission into Robodebt found Morrison allowed Cabinet to be misled about the scheme’s legality, calling the whole thing “crude and cruel”.
And who could forget the infamous Hawaii holiday during the Black Summer bushfires, which forced a public apology after he was caught overseas while the country burned?
So, why does the system keep handing out these honours to former PMs, no matter how many scandalous headlines they rack up? It’s tradition, pure and simple.
Since the Order of Australia was created, nearly every former prime minister has been given the nod — Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, Dan Andrews (not a PM obviously, but a poli nonetheless), you name it.
Paul Keating is the only living PM to have turned it down, saying the job itself was recognition enough.
The selection process is technically open to anyone, but the reality is, if you’ve ever had your own driver and a spot at National Cabinet, you’re basically a shoe in.
So if you’re looking for a system that only rewards the squeaky clean, you’re out of luck. The honours council rarely breaks with tradition, and the higher up you go, the more the awards seem reserved for those who already have a seat at the top table. Morrison’s new title isn’t a curveball — it’s just the system doing what it’s always done.
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