One has to notice that, unlike most previous ex-PMs who leave parliament after losing a Federal election, Scomo is still in the building.
Why?
Well, for a start he can still sit in Lib parliamentary party room meetings and cast aspersions on anyone who might be considered to be going "soft" on China (in Australia's economic interests) and to talk up his AUKUS debacle: Like current PM Albo's impending visit to Beijing, I suppose.
While sounding off about Australia’s approach to China, Morrison remains on the board of the China Centre, established in 2021 as part of influential US policy think tank the Hudson Institute which has as its main focus National Security and Defense, Foreign Policy and Arms Control. (The institute receives generous funding from Rupert Murdoch.) The Hudson Institute is a conservative think tank that has been critical of China's human rights record and its military expansion. Morrison's close ties to the Hudson Institute are well-known. He has spoken at the institute's events and has met with its officials on a number of occasions. In addition to getting Murdoch backing the Hudson Institute is also funded by a number of US weapons manufacturers, including Huntington Ingalls Industries, which builds nuclear submarines for the US Navy. Huntington's major shareholder with 12% of shares is - surprise, surprise - the Vanguard Group. Hudson also has close ties with Taiwan, which has also reportedly provided financial backing to the institute. The country’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, sent official congratulations to Hudson on its 60th anniversary in 2021. The institute also declares that it has received donations from Japanese government-linked organisations.
Morrison sits side by side with China Centre board chairman Mike Pompeo, former US secretary of state in the Trump administration. Pompeo marked himself out as the most belligerent of China hawks while in office and remains close to a network of China hawk Republicans. One of these is influential Republican Mike Gallagher. who sits at the very centre of US congressional support for the AUKUS agreement. Morrison is close friends with Pompeo, a fellow Pentecostal Christian whom he had on speed dial when Scomo was PM.
So, through Scott Morrison there is a direct line of influence from a US policy think tank to the Coalition party room, and from there to Murdoch's the Australian media via party room leaks, effectively meaning Morrison's (and Pompeo's) role at the China Centre gives the Pentecostals potential influence over Australia's China policy.
When Morrison took his role at the Hudson Institute after his election loss last year, it appeared that any overlap with his time as a member of Parliament would be temporary.
Yet it appears the job offers have not flowed Morrison’s way. His dual roles have become more permanent than anyone imagined.
The Australian Parliament appears to be stuck with a member who is also part of a powerful Republican-leaning US policy think tank, with no clear end in sight, well, unless you consider the Pentecostal enthusiasm for hastening the "End Times" has another clear end in sight sooner, rather than later.
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