Scott Morrison

[brian ross]

Feel free to expand on your emojis, Brian.

The Agenda 21 point is silly. It is a non-binding resolution of the UN and as far as I can tell, very few people downunder even know what it is. As for Sco-Mo's Christianity, well, I wonder about that as well. I wonder why either are so important to you? No one I know in the ALP knows anything about Agenda 21 and many of them are Christians as well. So, do they get your vote?

[cods]

Abbott stopped the BOATS

thats why brian doesnt like him..

[brian ross]

Abbott stopped the BOATS

thats why brian doesnt like him..

Nope, nope, that isn't the reason why I don't like him. I don't like him 'cause he's an egotistical, deeply Tory, right-wing bastard. I haven't forgotten the Ru486 saga, nor his views on how to get rid of Pauline Hanson, either. He said he wasn't going to carp or moan when he was deposed. What has he done? Exactly that.

[cods]

pitiful excuse brian sorry most of our MPs and god help us all PMs...

have huge faults..... if they pleased everybody where would we be??? I can bet no happier..

did you know we are still STIMULATING some industries with krudd.. stim???....

you and I didnt get much.. but by golly getting handouts is another industry altogether...

Abbott tried to stop the flow of money but as we know... he was stopped at every turn....

b y the very people who brought us the debt in the first place...

at least we are not feeding another 50.000 boat people... YET!

[sprintcyclist]

Abbott stopped the BOATS

thats why brian doesnt like him..

Tony stopped the illegals

[sprintcyclist]

............ In his maiden speech Scott Morrison declared his allegiance to Jesus and thanked Christians who influenced his life. “Growing up in a Christian home, I made a commitment to my faith at an early age and have been greatly assisted by the pastoral work of many dedicated church leaders, in particular the Reverend Ray Green and pastors Brian Houston and Leigh Coleman.” ...........

https://www.eternitynews.com.au/austral ... costal-pm/

[sprintcyclist]

Date Thursday, 14 February 2008 Source House
Page 348 Proof No
Questioner Responder
Speaker Morrison, Scott, MP Question No.
Mr MORRISON (Cook) (11.54 am)—It is with humility and a deep sense of appreciation to the electors of
Cook that I rise to make my maiden speech in this House. Today I wish to pay tribute to those who have been
instrumental in my journey and to share the values and vision that I intend to bring to this House. I begin by
acknowledging the first Australians, in particular the Gweigal people of the Dharawal nation of southern Sydney,
who were the first to encounter Lieutenant James Cook, the namesake of my electorate, at Kurnell almost 240
years ago. I also commence by expressing my sincere appreciation to the people and families of the Sutherland
shire in my electorate of Cook for placing their trust in me on this first occasion.
The shire community is a strong one. It is free of pretension and deeply proud of our nation’s heritage.
Like most Australians, we are a community knit together by our shared commitment to family, hard work and
generosity. We share a deep passion for our local natural environment and embrace what Teddy Roosevelt called
the vigorous life, especially in sports. It is also a place where the indomitable entrepreneurial spirit of small
business has flourished, particularly in recent years. In short, the shire is a great place to live and raise a family.
As the federal member for Cook, I want to keep it that way by ensuring that Australia remains true to the values
that have made our nation great and by keeping our economy strong so that families and small business can plan
for their future with confidence.
At a local level, families—in particular carers—will come under increasing pressure because of the inability
of local services to meet the changing needs of an ageing population. The character of our local area is also
threatened by a failure to deliver critical state infrastructure such as the F6 extension for our current population,
let alone the population growth targets set by the state government for the future.
On the Kurnell peninsula, the modern birthplace of our nation, we must reverse 150 years of environmental
neglect, most recently demonstrated by the construction of Labor’s desalination plant—a plant that New South
Wales does not need and the shire community does not want.
We must also combat the negative influences on our young people that lead to depression, suicide, self-harm,
abuse and antisocial behaviour that in turn threatens our community. We need to help our young people make
positive choices for their lives and be there to help them get their lives back on track when they fall.
For the past nine years, the Hon. Bruce Baird has ably represented the Cook electorate. Bruce Baird is a man of
achievement, integrity, faith and, above all, compassion. He has set a high standard. I thank him for his service,
his personal guidance over many years and for being here today.
My colleagues and I would not be here without the support of the Liberal Party and the thousands of volunteers
who believe in our cause. They provide the ultimate in political support—they show up. And, as we know, history
is made by those who show up. I thank them all, especially in my electorate of Cook. I particularly thank my
good friend Kevin Schreiber; my campaign team, led by Michael Douglas and Scott Chapman; our local Liberal
shire councillors; and my local, state and federal parliamentary colleagues, especially those here today.
For almost five years I had the privilege to serve as the State Director of the Liberal Party of New South Wales.
Then, as now, I was surrounded by people who walked the journey with me. I thank them all for their support,
especially Chris McDiven, Rhondda Vanzella, the Hon. Shane Stone, Senator Bill Heffernan, David Gazard and
the Hon. John Howard, the greatest Prime Minister since Sir Robert Menzies.
In addition to working in politics, the great bulk of my professional experience has been working with industry.
I thank the many staff, colleagues and industry leaders I worked with during that time, in particular Peter Verwer
and the Hon. Tim Fischer, who provided great guidance and support.
From my early days at the Property Council of Australia to my many roles in the tourism industry, I have
developed a healthy respect for the passion and commitment of Australian businesspeople, especially those in
small business. It is business that creates jobs and it is business that drives our economy. This is achieved through
Thursday, 14 February 2008 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 349
CHAMBER
the initiative, enterprise and sacrifice of business owners and the hard work, skill and professionalism of the
employees they lead.
In this parliament, let us make laws that encourage businesses and their employees to excel. Let us ensure
that business is not unreasonably burdened by our efforts but, rather, empowered to grow and create more jobs,
especially locally. Let us also make sure there are strong incentives, as well as protections, for all employees
—not a one-size-fits-all approach—and ensure we preserve the right of the individual to negotiate their own
conditions directly with their employer, should they wish to do so. Furthermore, let us acknowledge that we live
in a highly competitive global economy and not deceive our constituents that we can tame these forces. Rather,
let us protect our way of life by ensuring our economy is strong, equipped and positioned to perform.
I turn now to the most significant influences on my life—my family and my faith. Family is the stuff of life
and there is nothing more precious. I thank my family members here in the gallery today for their support. It is
my hope that all Australians could have the same caring and supportive environment that was provided to me
by my parents, John and Marion Morrison, and my late grandparents, Mardie and Sandy Smith and Douglas
and Noel Morrison, whom I honour in this place today. My parents laid the foundation for my life. Together
with my brother, Alan, they demonstrated through their actions their Christian faith and the value they placed on
public and community service. In our family, it has never been what you accumulate that matters but what you
contribute. I thank them for their sacrifice, love and, above all, their example. To my wife, Jenny, on Valentine’s
Day: words are not enough. She has loved and supported me in all things and made countless sacrifices, consistent
with her generous, selfless and caring nature. However, above all, I thank her for her determination to never give
up hope for us to have a child. After 14 years of bitter disappointments, God remembered her faithfulness and
blessed us with our miracle child, Abbey Rose, on the seventh of the seventh of the seventh, to whom I dedicate
this speech today in the hope of an even better future for her and her generation.
Growing up in a Christian home, I made a commitment to my faith at an early age and have been greatly
assisted by the pastoral work of many dedicated church leaders, in particular the Reverend Ray Green and pastors
Brian Houston and Leigh Coleman. My personal faith in Jesus Christ is not a political agenda. As Lincoln said,
our task is not to claim whether God is on our side but to pray earnestly that we are on His. For me, faith is
personal, but the implications are social—as personal and social responsibility are at the heart of the Christian
message. In recent times it has become fashionable to negatively stereotype those who profess their Christian
faith in public life as ‘extreme’ and to suggest that such faith has no place in the political debate of this country.
This presents a significant challenge for those of us, like my colleague, who seek to follow the example of William
Wilberforce or Desmond Tutu, to name just two. These leaders stood for the immutable truths and principles of
the Christian faith. They transformed their nations and, indeed, the world in the process. More importantly, by
following the convictions of their faith, they established and reinforced the principles of our liberal democracy
upon which our own nation is built.
Australia is not a secular country—it is a free country. This is a nation where you have the freedom to follow
any belief system you choose. Secularism is just one. It has no greater claim than any other on our society. As
US Senator Joe Lieberman said, the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not from religion. I believe the
same is true in this country.
So what values do I derive from my faith? My answer comes from Jeremiah, chapter 9:24:
... I am the Lord who exercises loving-kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, declares
the Lord.
From my faith I derive the values of loving-kindness, justice and righteousness, to act with compassion and
kindness, acknowledging our common humanity and to consider the welfare of others; to fight for a fair go for
everyone to fulfil their human potential and to remove whatever unjust obstacles stand in their way, including
diminishing their personal responsibility for their own wellbeing; and to do what is right, to respect the rule
of law, the sanctity of human life and the moral integrity of marriage and the family. We must recognise an
unchanging and absolute standard of what is good and what is evil. Desmond Tutu put it this way:
... we expect Christians ... to be those who stand up for the truth, to stand up for justice, to stand on the side of the poor and
the hungry, the homeless and the naked, and when that happens, then Christians will be trustworthy believable witnesses.
These are my principles. My vision for Australia is for a nation that is strong, prosperous and generous: strong in
our values and our freedoms, strong in our family and community life, strong in our sense of nationhood and in
the institutions that protect and preserve our democracy; prosperous in our enterprise and the careful stewardship
Thursday, 14 February 2008 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 350
CHAMBER
of our opportunities, our natural environment and our resources; and, above all, generous in spirit, to share our
good fortune with others, both at home and overseas, out of compassion and a desire for justice.
Australia is a strong nation. It is the product of more than 200 years of sacrifice—most significantly by those
who have served in our defence forces, both here and overseas, and by those who have fallen, particularly those
who have fallen most recently, and to whom I express my profound gratitude. But a strong country is also one
that is at peace with its past. I do not share the armband view of history, black or otherwise. I like my history
in high-definition, widescreen, full, vibrant colour. There is no doubt that our Indigenous population has been
devastated by the inevitable clash of cultures that came with the arrival of the modern world in 1770 at Kurnell in
my electorate. This situation is not the result of any one act but of more than 200 years of shared ignorance, failed
policies and failed communities. And we are not alone: our experience is shared by every other modern nation
that began this way. There is much for us all to be sorry for. Sadly, those who will be most sorry are the children
growing up in Indigenous communities today, whose life chances are significantly less than the rest of us.
We can choose to sit in judgement on previous generations, thinking we would have done it differently. But
would we? Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Nor can we compare the world we live in today with the world that
framed the policies of previous generations. So let us not judge. Rather, having apologised for our past—as I
was proud to do in this place yesterday—let us foster a reconciliation where true forgiveness can emerge and
we work together to remove the disadvantage of our Indigenous communities, not out of a sense of guilt or
recompense for past failures but because it is the humane and right thing to do. Having said this, we cannot allow
a national obsession with our past failures to overwhelm our national appetite for celebrating our modern stories
of nationhood. We must celebrate our achievements and acknowledge our failures at least in equal measure. We
should never feel the need to deny our past to embrace our future.
On 29 April 1770 James Cook landed at Kurnell and so began the modern Australian story. James Cook was
a man before his time. He embodied the true spirit of the Enlightenment age. Against a backdrop of brutality and
ignorance, he displayed an amazing empathy and respect for his own crew and the people and lands he visited.
He should be revered as one of the most significant figures in our national history. On 29 April 2020 we will
mark the 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing at Kurnell. This should be the most significant national celebration
since our Bicentenary. This will require federal, state and local government to overcome decades of neglect of
the Kurnell Peninsula and a failure to manage the site with the respect it deserves, particularly at the state level.
The time has come to truly respect and rehabilitate our nation’s birthplace at Kurnell.
Australia is a prosperous country. Our prosperity has produced significant dividends—in particular, jobs for
millions of Australians. The reason we have working families in Australia is that they have jobs. They have jobs
today because of the strong economic management of the Howard government, which provided an environment
for business to grow and prosper. After 11½ years of the Howard government the Australian economy is the
strongest it has ever been—no ifs, no buts. I would like to honour today the member for Higgins, the Hon. Peter
Costello, for his leadership of our economy over this time. He is our finest Treasurer ever and that position is
in no present threat.
Yet the storm clouds are gathering. We must cast our eyes forward and embrace a new round of economic
reforms. Of particular significance is the need to reform our federation. However, we must proceed carefully.
The realignment of our federation, particularly in priority areas such as water, taxation and infrastructure, must
be about delivering a better system of governance for our population and our economy. It should not be done to
cover for the inability of state governments to do their jobs, especially in health and education. There is a remedy
to the incompetence of state governments that requires no constitutional change—vote them out, especially in
New South Wales. We must also give attention to local government and give them a direct voice in how our
nation is governed. They should be given a clear and mandated role in service delivery and the means to do their
job. Commonwealth, state and local government should operate like a three-legged stool, each supporting the
other. At present it is more like a three-legged dog.
We are a prosperous people, but this prosperity is not solely for our own benefit; it comes with a responsibility
to invest back into our communities. Our communities are held together by the selfless service of volunteers. We
must work to value their service and encourage more of our community to join the volunteer ranks and assist
local organisations engage and retain today’s volunteers, particularly from younger generations. We must also
appreciate that our not-for-profit sector has the potential to play a far greater role in the delivery of community
services than is currently recognised. As global citizens, we must also recognise that our freedom will always be
diminished by the denial of those same freedoms elsewhere, whether in Australia or overseas.
Thursday, 14 February 2008 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 351
CHAMBER
Social entrepreneurs such as David Bussau, our Senior Australian of the Year, have shown the way forward.
Our attention in this area cannot be limited only to areas of strategic self-interest. It must be pursued as the
responsibility of our common humanity. In Africa, 6,500 people die every day from preventable and treatable
diseases. Over just six weeks that is more than the 250,000 people estimated to have tragically died following the
tsunami tragedy that evoked such a compassionate and generous response from Australians—and I commend
them for that. Africa, though, is a humanitarian tragedy on an unimaginable scale. It is a true moral crisis that
eclipses all others. The African tragedy is driven by war, poverty, disease, famine, corruption, injustice and an
evil that is robbing generations of Africans, our fellow human beings, of their future. Paul Hewson, better known
as Bono, said:
There is a continent—Africa—being consumed by flames.
... when the history books are written, our age will be remembered for ... what we did—or did not do to put the fire out ...
We must engage as individuals and communities to confront these issues—not just as governments. We have all
heard the call to make poverty history. Let us do this by first making poverty our own personal business.
The Howard government increased annual spending on foreign aid to $3.2 billion. The new government has
committed to continue to increase this investment and I commend it for doing so. However, we still must go
further. If we doubt the need, let us note that in 2007 the total world budget for global aid accounted for only onethird
of basic global needs in areas such as education, general health, HIV-AIDS, water treatment and sanitation.
This leaves a sizeable gap. The need is not diminishing, nor can our support. It is the Australian thing to do.
In conclusion, it says in the Book of Joel, ‘Your old men will dream dreams; your young men will see visions.’
Let us have in this place a vision of young men and women that realises the dreams of generations past—the
dreaming of Dharawal elders of ancient times, the dreams of Cook and his era of discovery and enlightenment
and the dreams of my grandparents’ generation, who fought wars, survived the Great Depression and gave birth
to our great Liberal Party with the dream of a brighter day for those who came after them. May God bless and
guide us all in this place as we serve those who have had the good grace to send us here on their behalf.


The SPEAKER—Order! Before I call the member for Brand, I remind the House that this is the honourable
member’s first speech. I therefore ask that the usual courtesies be extended to him.

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/gen ... tion%2Fpdf

[mellie]

Well Brian, as a Christian, I can only speak for myself and cast my vote in accordance with what resonates with me as an individual.

I'm looking forward to giving our new PM the opportunity to be guided by his faith.

[mellie]

If Scott Morrison declared himself a Muslim, would the PC left be so critical of his religious beliefs?

Hardly.


Selective discrimination is still discrimination.


Something the left don't quite get.

Mostly because the majority of them are under 25 or smoke pot.

[Black Orchid]

How do you honestly think Scummo will have higher numbers than Mal? I cannot wait for question time

Yes.

I liked Tony Abbott and did not like him being removed.

I didn't like him being removed either but after he was removed his bitterness shone brighter than his loyalty and he did everything he could to destabilise his own party.

None of them think about the people they are paid handsomely to represent. They prefer to think about themselves.