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From Schwartz Media, I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am.

With the federal government trailing in the polls, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been attempting to improve his image.

First, by inviting Channel 9 cameras into his home, and then by accusing the Labor Opposition of being soft on crime and too close to China.

So, will these last ditch efforts work?

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on how Scott Morrison is attempting to claw back ground as the election inches closer.

It’s Friday, February 18.

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RUBY:

Paul, I want to start by asking you about what I think we could call the soft launch of the Prime Minister's re-election campaign, that is the big interview that he did on Channel nine, which actually seemed to focus less on him and more on his wife, Jenny.

PAUL:

Well, so it did, Ruby. The 60 Minutes ‘Meet The Morrisons’ was a soft focus treatment of the loving couple and their two kids

Archival tape -- Karl Stefanovic:

“Enter: Jenny Morrison. Funny, relatable and likeable. She's just about everything her husband's critics say he isn't.”

PAUL:

In it, reporter Karl Stefanovic called Mrs. Morrison the PM's secret weapon, and that's certainly how she was deployed, telling Stefanovic that her husband wasn't lacking in empathy. It was just that he was task oriented.

Archival tape -- Jenny Morrison:

“I think Scott totally gets things. I think he is. He's all about problem solving. And so that can come across sometimes as serious, uncaring or…lacking empathy…”

PAUL:

Well, of course, a mine that still leaves open the question: does he have the empathy to see the problem in the first place? Anyway, she also took responsibility for the infamous holiday the Morrisons took to Hawaii as the 2019 2020 Black Summer bushfires were raging.

Archival tape -- Jenny Morrison:

“I am more than sorry for. If we're disappointed and not if we did disappoint, did did we make the right decision? I thought I was making the right decision for my kids. I obviously… was wrong.”

PAUL:

Look, I have to say, there was something jarring in seeing Scott Morrison, already under fire for always laying blame elsewhere, sit back with a smile and allow his wife to cop it.

And while Jenny might have taken responsibility for the decision to go on holiday, she can hardly be responsible for the Prime Minister's Office lying to the press gallery on the family's whereabouts. Nor is Jenny to blame for him, forcing handshakes on angry fire victims in Cobargo or for shirking responsibility for his absence because quote: “I don't hold a hose, mate.”

RUBY:

Hmm. Right. But clearly, the prime minister and his office are hoping that Jenny will soften Scott Morrison's image, maybe improve his appeal to women. So do you think that that interview might have succeeded at all in that regard?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, it's debatable if Morrison's wife can convince the two thirds of Australians who have lost confidence in the government to regain it. The Australian National University survey released this week, found in its longitudinal study the lowest approval of the government since the 2019 2020 summer bushfire catastrophe and the results of the latest Newspoll, which were released online at the very same time 60 Minutes aired…well, they were dire.

RUBY:

OK, so what's the latest polls tell us, Paul? What is the state of play as we get closer and closer to an election?

PAUL:

Well, the poll revealed a 10 per cent lead to labour on a two party preferred basis.

RUBY:

And how significant is that?

PAUL:

Well, according to polling analyst Kevin Bonham, very!

Archival tape -- 10 News anchor:

“The latest Newspoll hasn’t done the government any favours this close to an election-…”

Archival tape -- 9 News reporter:

“The latest Newspoll shows the Coalition is still on track for a heavy defeat-...”

Archival tape -- Sky News anchor:

“It means Labor maintains its largest polling lead since the 2018 Liberal leadership spill…”

PAUL:

It essentially confirmed the previous fortnight's 12 per cent lead was not an outlier. Kevin Bonham has tracked the survival of other governments who have gone on to win despite having two consecutive polls where the gap was this big or even worse.

Now, the shortest route to recovery was John Howard back in 2004. He was in the same predicament seven months from the election.

And, you know, in 2019, Morrison was lagging this badly, too, but it was eight months out from facing the people. The difference now is the prime minister only has three months to turn things around, so he is in a much weaker position. Now Ruby, you have to say, of course, this presumes Newspoll, unlike in the run up to 2019, is accurately tracking what's happening out there in the electorate.

RUBY:

Yeah, and that is an important thing to consider, Paul, because I think a lot of people are wondering how much faith to put in polls right now, considering how far off they were before the last election.

PAUL:

Well, that's true, Ruby. But Scott Morrison himself clearly doesn't think the opinion poll is that far off the mark, and there are reports that the Liberals own research is pretty bad, too.

And this goes a long way to explain how shrill he's become in attacking Anthony Albanese and Labour on the old conservative standbys of law and order and national security.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“And there is only one side of the House that has demonstrated, Mr Speaker, the resolve on this question and I can tell you, Mr Speaker, the arbiter of that is the Chinese government themselves, Mr Speaker, who has picked their horse and he's sitting right there!”
(Parliament rabble)

RUBY:

We'll be back in a moment.

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RUBY:

Paul, what kind of allegations is Scott Morrison making about Anthony Albanese?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby Scott Morrison joined John Laws on radio tourism this week.

Archival tape -- John Laws:

“We've got the prime minister himself on the line. Prime Minister, good morning.”

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Good day, John. How are you?”

Archival tape -- John Laws:

“Top of the world! What a lovely wife you’ve got…”

PAUL:

He claimed Labor leader Anthony Albanese was a protector of criminals who should be deported.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Anthony Albanese likes to talk about, well, whose side is he on? Will is clearly on the side of criminals, and if that's what society he wants to choose, well, he can explain that to the Australian people…”

PAUL:

Well, that was in response to Labour last year, refusing to support an amended the government's bill to give the immigration minister further powers to deport convicted criminals. Well, Labour saw through the attempted wedge on Wednesday and waved the bill through the House. Both sides knew it was a try on because the Senate has run out of time to deal with it anyway. So Morrison then turned up the volume on national security.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“We're not going to be coerced by the Chinese government, and we stood up to them too. But you know, labour, when it comes to these issues, it keeping Australians safe, they're just soft!”

PAUL:

It was pretty intense stuff, kicked along by reports ASIO foiled Chinese attempts to infiltrate labour preselections in New South Wales.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Mr speaker…”
(Parliament rabble)

PAUL:

In Parliament, it was raucous and looked and sounded desperate.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Mr. Speaker, my government will never be the preferred partner of a foreign government, Mr Speaker, that has chose to intimidate this country and has sought to threaten this country. Mr Speaker, they will not find a fellow traveller when it comes to threats and coercion against Australia. In my government, Mr Speaker, I will never be their candidate.”

PAUL:

No doubt contributing to the prime minister's panic were the results coming in from last weekend's Super Saturday by elections in New South Wales.

RUBY:

Right. Okay, so tell me more about those by-elections Paul, and why they would have worried Scott Morrison.

Archival tape -- News Reporter:

“New South Wales voters have fired a warning shot at the Liberal government in Saturday's state by elections - there's been swings against the government…”

PAUL:

So the Liberal Party lost Bega for the first time since the seat was created. And in the former Premier Gladys Berejiklian held seat of Willoughby, as counting progressed an almost 20 per cent swing against the Liberals emerged, putting it in doubt pending outstanding postal votes. It's now down to the wire between the Liberals Tim James and independent candidate Larissa Pen.

Archival tape -- Matt Kean:

“I think there are huge ramifications. The rise of independents in inner city seats in Sydney and Melbourne is a major threat to the Liberal Party…”

PAUL:

State Treasurer Matt Kean says the result has huge ramifications at the federal level for the Liberals in their blue ribbon seats from independents.

Archival tape -- Matt Kean:

“Those communities care about issues like climate change. They are concerned about the rights of trans and same sex couples, for example, and they want to have those those rights protected those communities listen to…”

PAUL:

And he also says voters care about management of the pandemic and how people are kept safe. The liberal treasurer in New South Wales says the state government has 12 months to address these concerns. Scott Morrison, of course, doesn't have that luxury.

RUBY:

Hmm. OK, so what do you think the strategy is going to be for Scott Morrison from here on out, Paul?

PAUL:

Well, we'll be seeing more of Jenny. Scott Morrison this week told his party that though his wife isn't all that comfortable in the role, she'll be campaigning with him in the weeks ahead.

In the party room, he tried to assure his MPs and senators that he knew how to pull off another come from behind victory, telling them We have a job to do, I'm going to do mine, I need you to do yours. And he's still angry over last week's floor crossing by five of his liberals. He urged discipline and focus and said they haven't seen just how focussed he can be.

But the fact is, many in his own team remain unconvinced and far from reassured they can all hang onto their seats.

RUBY:

Paul, thank you so much for your time.

PAUL:

Thank you, Ruby, bye.

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RUBY:

Also in the news today…

Both New South Wales and Victoria will ease COVID-19 restrictions from today.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has announced working from home recommendations and density limits for hospitality venues will be ditched, and dance floors will be allowed to reopen. QR code check-ins will now only be required for nightclubs and indoor music festivals.

In Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said that density limits will be removed for hospitality venues, and dance floors will be allowed to reopen. However QR code check-ins will still be required in hospitality venues. Indoor mask rules will remain in place.

And the owners of Australia's largest coal-fired power plant have announced it will close years ahead of schedule. Origin Energy has sought approval to wind down its Eraring facility in the NSW Hunter region by 2025.
Last year, Eraring was identified as the coal power plant most likely to be unprofitable by 2025 in a report from think tanks.

The plant had originally been set to close in 2032.

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7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by Elle Marsh, Kara Jensen-Mackinnon, Anu Hasbold and Alex Gow.

Our senior producer is Ruby Schwartz and our technical producer is Atticus Bastow.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Our editor is Osman Faruqi. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.

Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am. See you next week.