Former prime minister Scott Morrison has taken a major step in his public speaking side gig, with the “true definition of a leader” now available for hire on the elite conference circuit.
As reported by The New Daily, the former leader and current Member for Cook is now represented by Worldwide Speakers Group, a high-level talent agency representing conservative luminaries ranging from former US vice president Mike Pence to Fox News firebrand Tomi Lahren.
The agency describes Morrison as a “globalization mastermind” with “boundless influence and experience”, who can share unique insights from his tenure as PM.
“From managing the public safety of Australians during the pandemic to mitigating an economic crisis, controlling natural disasters, and leading the country while others were at war — prime minister Morrison led Australia with his particular brand of calm decisiveness and rationale,” the Worldwide Speakers Group states.
Beyond COVID-19, Morrison is available to speak on issues including the net zero transition, the political and economic forces at play in the Asia-Pacific region, and the role of faith and technology in modern society.
Interested parties are invited to inquire about Morrison’s fee, with other Worldwide Speakers Group talent commanding fees in excess of $60,000 per engagement.
Morrison’s new representation speaks to his growing focus on public speaking and private sector engagements on top of his current parliamentary duties.
After the Coalition’s federal election defeat in May, Morrison was absent at the resumption of Parliament in July in favour of a speaking engagement in Tokyo.
Despite Morrison’s positioning as an expert on leadership, data compiled by Swinburne University shows confidence in the government’s leadership has surged since the election.
The latest Australian Leadership Index (ALI) data, revealed in late September, shows public confidence in the Albanese government’s leadership abilities sat at 61 points in the September quarter.
By contrast, confidence in the Morrison government’s leadership abilities hit a low of 52 points in the March quarter of this year.
Dr Vlad Demsar, a lecturer of marketing at Swinburne Business School, says the Morrison government’s low leadership rating in its final days was driven by poor communication at a time the public was “looking to the government for assurance and decisiveness”.
ALI data shows that between October 2021 and March 2022, public perceptions of the Morrison government’s capabilities significantly trailed behind their average take on Australian institutions.
When asked if the Morrison government demonstrated a high level of skill, respondents ranked the Coalition at 58 points, 10 points below the public’s view of all institutions.
Respondents also ranked the Morrison government harshly on its “clear vision for the future”, with 58 points to 68 points, respectively.
While the data reflects uncertainty over the government’s performance, Demsar added that the overall perception of leadership in Australian institutions was also relatively low at 64 points, suggesting muted confidence in authority across the board.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
