Scott Morrison opens up to Seven News Spotlight on the 'perfect storm' and ... trends now
Scott Morrison has opened up on the 'bitter, malicious and untrue' campaign that took a heavy toll on his mental health while prime minister.
The former PM said that the major issues of the day, such as the pandemic, China's aggression in the Indo-Pacific or the massive public backlash in the wake of the devastating 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, did not trouble him in the same way as the personal attacks on his character.
It all started after winning the 2019 federal election, which he declared at the time as a 'miracle.'
Until recently, very few people knew of the private internal hell he was going through, apart from his wife Jenny and some close friends.
'There was a relentless, personal, bitter, malicious, untrue campaign that was being waged against my character from the day I won the 2019 election,' Morrison told Seven News Spotlight.
Scott Morrison said that the major issues of the day, such as the pandemic, China 's aggression in the Indo-Pacific or the bushfires, did not trouble him in the same way as personal attacks on his character (pictured: touring a destroyed property in Sarsfield, Victoria during the bush fires)
'I got the very clear sense that after winning that election, the one I wasn't supposed to have won, the one that seemed to offend quite a lot of sensibilities around the place and from that day on, until the next, it was on.
'No one around me had any idea that this was going on.
'It wasn't impacting on my performance.'
Mr Morrison, 55, told Channel Seven's political editor Mark Riley that the personal attacks had such an impact that his doctor eventually prescribed anti-anxiety medication.
'It really helped and that was good, so I'd encourage people in those situations, particularly blokes - that's not weak, it's smart,' Mr Morrison said.
'Don't struggle with it on your own. It's there. Reach out.'
Mr Morrison also opened up on why he called out 'bullying' China over the coronavirus pandemic.
He insists it was worth it, despite a whopping $22b cost on Australia through trade bans.
'It was consistent with a whole range things we'd done in standing up to China,' he said.
'During the during the (Barack) Obama years- it's not necessarily a criticism of the Obama administration but China surged ahead into the South China Sea.
'No
