Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Diplomatist July 19 Edition . | Page 18

GLOBAL CENTRE STAGE
THE QUIET AUSTRALIAN
SCOTT MORRISON’S ELECTION VICTORY
BY DR. BINOY KAMPMARK*
T
he victory of Scott Morrison in the Australian
federal elections in May 2019 will rightly be seen
as remarkable. “I have always believed in miracles,”
he claimed in his victory speech. But even the victors have
little reason to gloat. It was a victory that saw a minimal
shift of positions on the battlefront: a mere few seats, in real
terms. The contesting Australian Labor Party found itself in
a position similar to the elections of 2016. But the impact of
such constipated moves was devastating. Having been seen
as a shoe-in, opposition leader Bill Shorten found himself
conceding in stunned disbelief, resigning as leader of his party.
The anger expressed in the aftermath of the Liberal-
National victory from Labor supporters was extreme if
understandable. The anointed successor never received
his crown. He had failed to overcome the handicap of
unpopularity hoping that extensive, and detailed policies
would win the day. Instead, the combination of an unpopular
candidate and a slew of proposals enabled Prime Minister
Scott Morrison to sharpen his campaign.
Those familiar with their Australian electoral history
might point to the 1993 victory of Labor’s Paul Keating
against the vast, complex package of what then opposition
18 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 7 • July 2019, Noida