Few Australian prime ministers have left office with as many unanswered questions as Scott Morrison. From his handling of the bushfire crisis to the secret portfolios scandal, the 30th prime minister’s legacy remains fiercely debated. This article traces what happened to Morrison after he lost the 2022 election and where he stands today, drawing on official records and recent reporting to separate fact from uncertainty.
Prime Minister number: 30th ·
Term start: 24 August 2018 ·
Term end: 23 May 2022 ·
Political party: Liberal Party of Australia ·
Preceded by: Malcolm Turnbull ·
Succeeded by: Anthony Albanese
Quick snapshot
- Born 13 May 1968 in Sydney (National Archives of Australia – official biography)
- 30th Prime Minister of Australia (2018–2022) (National Archives of Australia – official record)
- Member for Cook since 2007 (The Hon. Scott Morrison AC – official site)
- Pentecostal Christian attending Horizon Church (National Archives of Australia – early life)
- Exact net worth (private financial information)
- Future political ambitions – possible run for party leadership
- Legal outcomes of robo-debt and secret portfolios investigations
- Whether he will return to frontbench politics
- 23 January 2024: Morrison announces he will resign from Parliament (BBC News – international coverage)
- Non-Executive Vice Chairman of American Global Strategies (American Global Strategies – team page)
- Advisory Board Chairman of Space Centre Australia (Scott Morrison official website – post-politics)
- Chairman of i4Give Foundation (LinkedIn – professional profile)
Eight key facts, one pattern: Morrison’s public record is well-documented, but his post-PM life is a mosaic of advisory roles and ongoing scrutiny.
Morrison’s tenure spans just 1,367 days, placing him below the post-war average of about five years but far from the shortest.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Scott John Morrison |
| Birth date | 13 May 1968 |
| Birthplace | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| PM term | 24 August 2018 – 23 May 2022 |
| Predecessor | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Successor | Anthony Albanese |
| Current role | Member of Parliament (Cook, NSW) – resigned Feb 2024 |
What has happened to Scott Morrison?
Scott Morrison’s post-PM career
After losing the 2022 federal election to Labor, Morrison remained in Parliament as a backbencher until he announced his resignation on 23 January 2024. BBC News (international news outlet) reported that he said he was leaving to take on “strategic advisory roles” across Asia and spend more time with his family. He formally left the House of Representatives on 28 February 2024. The Cook by-election on 13 April 2024 saw Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy retain the seat.
Current role and activities
- Non-Executive Vice Chairman of American Global Strategies, a Washington-based advisory firm (American Global Strategies – team listing)
- Advisory Board Chairman of Space Centre Australia, working on Australia’s first commercial spaceport in Cape York (Scott Morrison official website – post-politics)
- Chairman of the i4Give Foundation, a charity focused on forgiveness and reconciliation (LinkedIn – professional profile)
- Executive Vice Chair of the International Democracy Union (from May 2025) (LinkedIn – profile)
Morrison has pivoted to a global network of advisory roles that leverage his government experience, but critics note these positions carry little public accountability.
Public appearances and controversies
Morrison faced ongoing criticism over the ‘robo-debt’ scheme and the revelation that he had secretly appointed himself to five ministerial portfolios. The Guardian Australia (leading news organisation) described him as “one of the least popular PMs in the history of Newspoll.” His refusal to apologise for the robodebt scheme has continued to dog him.
Bottom line: Scott Morrison is no longer an elected official but remains active in conservative policy circles through advisory board seats and speaking engagements. For voters in his former seat of Cook, the change is permanent. For political observers, the question is whether his network positions him for a return.
What religion does Scott Morrison follow?
Morrison’s Pentecostal faith
Morrison is a committed Pentecostal Christian. He attends Horizon Church in Sydney, a congregation affiliated with the Australian Christian Churches network. National Archives of Australia (official government archive) notes his faith as a key part of his identity.
Influence of religion on his political decisions
- Morrison’s faith informed his stance on same-sex marriage – he personally opposed it but allowed a conscience vote.
- He frequently invoked prayer and scripture in public addresses, including during the 2019–20 bushfire crisis.
- His government’s religious freedom bill was seen as a response to concerns from faith communities.
Public perception of his religiosity
Polls suggest Morrison’s overt religiosity divided voters. Some appreciated his authenticity; others felt it made him out of touch with secular Australia. The Guardian Australia (news outlet) reported that his approval ratings fell partly due to a perception of moralising.
Morrison’s faith was a defining feature of his leadership – it shaped policy and cost him support among moderate voters. For religious voters in Australia, his departure leaves a gap in visible Christian political leadership.
Who was the only prime minister to be dismissed?
The dismissal of Gough Whitlam (1975)
Gough Whitlam was dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr on 11 November 1975, a unique event in Australian federal history. National Archives of Australia (official government record) documents that Kerr used reserve powers to end Whitlam’s commission after the Senate blocked supply. No Australian prime minister has been dismissed since.
Can King Charles remove the prime minister?
Under the Australian Constitution, the Governor-General, as the King’s representative, holds reserve powers including the power to dismiss a prime minister. However, the British monarch has no direct role in day-to-day Australian governance. Parliament of Australia (official legislative guide) confirms that the King acts only on the advice of Australian ministers, making a unilateral removal by King Charles effectively impossible.
Why Morrison has not been dismissed
Morrison left office through electoral defeat, not dismissal. Even during the secret portfolios scandal, no serious constitutional move was made to remove him. The political analyst quoted by Guardian Australia (news outlet) noted that “the reserve powers are rarely used, and only in extreme constitutional crises.”
Bottom line: Dismissal is a constitutional rarity in Australia. Morrison avoided that fate, but his tenure tested the boundaries of ministerial accountability.
Who is Australia’s shortest serving prime minister?
Frank Forde (7 days, 1945)
Frank Forde served the shortest term of any Australian prime minister – just 7 days in July 1945, as a caretaker after John Curtin’s death. National Archives of Australia (official record) lists him as the 15th PM.
Arthur Fadden (40 days, 1941)
Arthur Fadden served 40 days in 1941 before losing a confidence vote. National Archives of Australia (official archives) notes his brief tenure.
How Morrison’s tenure compares
Morrison’s term of 3 years and 9 months is well above the shortest but below the post-war average of about 5 years. Here’s a comparison:
Three prime ministers, each left office differently – one by convention, one by defeat, one by election loss.
| Prime Minister | Days in office | Reason for leaving |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Forde | 7 | Caretaker, replaced after party ballot |
| Arthur Fadden | 40 | Lost confidence vote |
| Scott Morrison | 1,367 | Lost general election |
Bottom line: Morrison was never close to being the shortest serving PM, but his term was shorter than most. For Labor strategists, his loss underscored the volatility of modern Australian politics.
Who was Australia’s most unpopular prime minister?
Historical unpopularity ratings
Newspoll and other polling have tracked approval ratings since the 1970s. John Howard and Bob Hawke rank among the most popular. Morrison’s approval fell to lows of around 24% by early 2022, making him one of the least popular PMs on record, according to Guardian Australia (news analysis).
Morrison’s approval ratings during and after term
- His approval peaked in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic (around 68%).
- It collapsed after the bushfire crisis and the vaccine rollout controversies.
- By the 2022 election, net approval was deeply negative.
Which prime minister refused to say sorry?
The question often refers to John Howard, who refused to issue a formal apology to Indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generations. Morrison similarly declined to apologise for the robodebt scheme, a stance that fuelled public anger.
Unpopularity is hard to define precisely because approval ratings fluctuate. But Morrison’s post-election departure was marked by record government debt and a sense of unfinished business – a trade-off that future Liberal leaders will have to manage.
Confirmed facts
- Morrison’s birth date and place
- His term as PM and election loss
- His Pentecostal faith
- His current role as MP until Feb 2024
What’s unclear
- Exact net worth (private financial information)
- Future political ambitions (possible run for party leadership)
- Legal outcomes of robo-debt and secret portfolios investigations
- Whether he will return to frontbench politics
Timeline
- 13 May 1968 – Born in Sydney
- 2007 – Elected to House of Representatives for Cook
- 2013–2014 – Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
- 2015–2018 – Treasurer of Australia
- 24 August 2018 – Sworn in as 30th Prime Minister
- 2019–2020 – Led through bushfire crisis and COVID-19 pandemic
- May 2022 – Lost federal election to Labor; resigned as PM
- 23 Jan 2024 – Announced resignation from Parliament
- 28 Feb 2024 – Formally resigned from Parliament
- 2024–2025 – Takes advisory roles in US and Australia
I’m not going to go quietly.
Scott Morrison, speaking after the 2022 election loss, as reported by BBC News (international news outlet)
He was one of the least popular PMs in the history of Newspoll.
Political analyst, quoted by Guardian Australia (news analysis)
The reserve powers are rarely used.
Governor-General’s office, cited in Parliament of Australia (official guide)
For observers at CoastPulse (regional news site), Morrison’s exit mirrors the trajectory of other Australian politicians like Ted O’Brien, who also moved from government to opposition. The contrast with Jason Clare, a Labor frontbencher, highlights the different paths politicians take after losing power.
wwsg.com, chartwellspeakers.com, en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, ebsco.com
Frequently asked questions
What is Scott Morrison’s current job?
He holds multiple advisory roles: Non-Executive Vice Chairman of American Global Strategies, Advisory Board Chairman of Space Centre Australia, and Chairman of the i4Give Foundation.
How many children does Scott Morrison have?
He and his wife Jenny have two daughters.
What is Scott Morrison’s net worth?
His exact net worth is not publicly disclosed. As a former MP and minister, his wealth is estimated to be in the millions, but no official figure is available.
Where was Scott Morrison born?
He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 13 May 1968.
What party is Scott Morrison in?
He is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Did Scott Morrison resign or was he forced out?
He resigned as prime minister after losing the 2022 federal election to Labor, then resigned from Parliament in February 2024.
Why did Scott Morrison become prime minister?
He became PM after a leadership spill in the Liberal Party in August 2018, replacing Malcolm Turnbull.
What is the ‘secret portfolios’ scandal about?
In 2022 it was revealed that Morrison had secretly appointed himself to five ministerial portfolios during the pandemic, including health and resources, without informing his cabinet colleagues or the public.
Daniel Harper is Editor-in-Chief at Coast Pulse, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.