Scott Morrison has opened up about the “bitter, malicious and false” campaign that severely affected his mental health when he was prime minister.
The former prime minister said the major issues of the moment, such as the pandemic, China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific or the massive public reaction following the devastating Black Summer wildfires of 2019-20, did not concern him in the same way. . such as personal attacks on his character.
It all started after winning the 2019 federal election, which he declared at the time as a “miracle.”
Until recently, very few people knew of the internal hell he was going through, apart from his wife Jenny and a few close friends.
“There was a relentless, personal, bitter, malicious and false campaign against my character from the day I won the 2019 election,” Morrison told Seven News Spotlight.
Scott Morrison said the major issues of the moment, such as the pandemic, China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific or the bushfires, did not concern him in the same way as personal attacks on his character (pictured: touring a property destroyed in Sarsfield, Victoria during bushfires)
“I had the very clear feeling that after winning that election, the one that I wasn’t supposed to have won, the one that seemed to offend a lot of sensibilities in the place and from that day on, until the next, it was on.
“No one around me had any idea what was happening.
“It didn’t affect my performance.”
Morrison, 55, told Channel Seven political editor Mark Riley that the personal attacks had such an impact that his doctor eventually prescribed him anti-anxiety medication.
“It really helped and it was good, so I would encourage people in those situations, especially men, to not be weak, but be smart,” Morrison said.
‘Don’t fight it on your own. It’s there. Reach.’
Morrison also spoke about why he denounced China’s “bullying” over the coronavirus pandemic.
He insists it was worth it, despite the huge $22 billion cost to Australia due to trade bans.
“It was consistent with a whole series of things we had done to confront China,” he said.
‘During the (Barack) Obama years, it’s not necessarily a criticism of the Obama administration, but China moved into the South China Sea.
‘Nobody did anything.
They will go as far as you let them go.
‘Unless you say ‘Stop’, they’ll keep coming
‘We confront them. They backed away.
‘They were looking for a different relationship with the new government. Good!’
Scott Morrison invited Channel Seven to his home for a wide-ranging interview
Morrison urged Anthony Albanese’s government to be careful with China.
“Of course, go and make as much money as you can in China,” he said.
But understand that you can turn it off.
“They can threaten to shut it down and they can threaten their government to change their policies.”
The devout Christian also spoke of the important role God plays in his life.
“I see that God is with me every day,” Mr Morrison said.
When asked what God’s plan was for him now, Mr Morrison replied: “To love me.”
“That’s the best way I can answer.”
Morrison first revealed his secret mental health battle in his new book Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.
He said that most of his time at The Lodge was “debilitating and agonizing”, and that without anxiety medication he would have fallen into a deep depression.
He said most of his time at The Lodge was “debilitating and agonizing”, and without anxiety medication he would have fallen into a deep depression (pictured with his wife, Jenny).
“My doctor was surprised that I had lasted this long before seeking help,” Mr Morrison wrote in his book.
‘Without this help, serious depression would have set in. What struck me was the combination of sheer physical exhaustion with the relentless, callous brutality of politics and media attacks.’
Morrison said that while that was all part of the job as a public figure, “politicians were not made of stone.”
‘You fear the future and you can’t get out of bed. It can shut you down mentally and physically. It steals your joy and can damage relationships. I know this from personal experience,” she wrote.
However, Morrison insisted his mental health issues did not affect his performance at work.
Morrison first revealed his secret mental health battle in his new book Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.
Morrison was Australia’s 30th Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 before losing to Anthony Albanese in the 2022 election.
He was replaced by Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy as federal MP for Cook in southern Sydney in the recent by-election.
Morrison retired from politics in February this year and became a strategic advisor to DYNE Maritime, a US-based, Australian-founded venture capital firm that invests in technologies related to the AUKUS pact.
He is also vice president of American Global Strategies, which was co-founded and chaired by Robert O’Brien, who was national security advisor to US President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2021.