The Accidental Prime Minister

'Critics have repeatedly underestimated Morrison's political skill and overplayed the impact of his missteps. But Morrison seems to understand, more than most, what gets through to mainstream Australians and what they ignore.'

Nine months after the spill that catapulted Scott Morrison to the top job, he won the 2019 election, surprising politicians and pundits throughout the nation. Yet, little was really known about the former marketing man whose hard-nosed political instincts and 'daggy dad' persona took him all the way to Kirribilli House.

A devout Christian family man on one hand, ambitious and poll-obsessed on the other, the seemingly blunder-prone Morrison has surpassed expectations of his tenure and voter popularity more than once, making him one of Australia's most underestimated modern political figures.

In this first biography of the thirtieth prime minister of Australia, multi-award-winning political journalist Annika Smethurst examines the fundamental question about Morrison: is his success a case of being in the right place at the right time, or is he one of the most strategic and shrewd political operators to ever hold the office?

'A penetrating study of relentless ambition and making "ordinary" the new political norm - none of it edifying, all of it essential reading' Laura Tingle

“Review-- Christine Wallace , VIC [PRINT] The Saturday Age [AUDIENCE: 241,029, ASR: 38,572]”

Review--Christine Wallace, VIC [PRINT] The Saturday Age [AUDIENCE: 241,029, ASR: 38,572]

Annika Smethurst is the state political editor at The Age newspaper in Melbourne. She is a double Walkley Award winner and has two Melbourne Quill Awards for political reporting. In 2019, Annika became the accidental poster woman for press freedom when her house was raided by the AFP over a story she wrote revealing a government plan to allow the Australian Signals Directorate to spy on Australians. In her 2020 essay, On Secrets, she explored the impact of the raids and examined the importance of press freedom. She is the former national political editor of the Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Herald Sun and is a regular on ABC's Insiders program and Sky News.

'Critics have repeatedly underestimated Morrison's political skill and overplayed the impact of his missteps. But Morrison seems to understand, more than most, what gets through to mainstream Australians and what they ignore.' Nine months after the spill that catapulted Scott Morrison to the top job, he won the 2019 election, surprising politicians and pundits throughout the nation. Yet, little was really known about the former marketing man whose hard-nosed political instincts and 'daggy dad' persona took him all the way to Kirribilli House.A devout Christian family man on one hand, ambitious and poll-obsessed on the other, the seemingly blunder-prone Morrison has surpassed expectations of his tenure and voter popularity more than once, making him one of Australia's most underestimated modern political figures.In this first biography of the thirtieth prime minister of Australia, multi-award-winning political journalist Annika Smethurst examines the fundamental question about Morrison: is his success a case of being in the right place at the right time, or is he one of the most strategic and shrewd political operators to ever hold the office?'A penetrating study of relentless ambition and making "ordinary" the new political norm - none of it edifying, all of it essential reading' Laura Tingle

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