"For a long time in public life, I learned not to be thin-skinned, not to hold grudges, and to focus on my work. You will be attacked from all sides... If you're not going to be thick skin to face this, you're doing the wrong job. ”
Today (12th), Australian Prime Minister Morrison was asked in an interview with the media whether he had publicly lied, he not only claimed that he had never lied, but also made the above statement, saying that in the face of others' accusations, he had long learned to work "cheekily".
Morrison's statement quickly attracted the attention of many foreign media, such as the British "Guardian" listed 5 topics of Morrison's "false or incorrect speech", and ridiculed: Morrison said that he "believes" that he has never lied in public life - is this a lie?
Screenshot of the Guardian report
In recent weeks, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been saddled with the infamy of being a "liar."
First, for tearing up a $90 billion submarine contract with France, Macron publicly accused Morrison of lying in the submarine deal late last month. At that time, an Australian journalist at the G20 venue asked Macron: Do you think Morrison lied? To this, Macron replied bluntly: "I don't have to think, I know." Macron also said Australia needed to do more to rebuild trust between the two allies.
Morrison took the initiative to greet Macron on the G20, but Macron's face was solemn, and the picture was from the Australian media
Subsequently, Malcolm Turnbull, the former Prime Minister of Australia who promoted Morrison to finance minister, told a reporter during his participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) on November 1 that Morrison had "lied to me on many occasions" and criticized him for "having a reputation for telling lies."
After the allegations, Sky News Australia said "people have questioned Morrison's authenticity" and that it will undoubtedly be a potential weakness for Morrison, who wants to seek re-election in the elections to be held in May next year.
Morrison apparently didn't want to be labeled a "liar." The day after being blamed by Macron, Morrison denied it and moved all the Australians out to support himself. He told reporters, "I've got broad shoulders, I can withstand those [accusations]." However, those slanders – I will not allow [Macron] to slander Australia. Nor can I put up with the stigma on behalf of australians. ”
Today, Morrison once again denied in an interview with Australian media that he had lied. According to Australian media such as SBS News, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Neil Mitchell, the host of Melbourne 3AW, asked Morrison this morning whether he had ever lied in public life, and Morrison replied: "I don't believe I have no, no.". ”
Mitchell continued to ask: "How do you feel when a former teammate, Malcolm Turnbull, calls you a 'serial liar'? Morrison replied: "This is politics, and people always sneer at me." Mitchell was undeterred, emphatically saying, "But as a friend, he said you had always been a liar."
Morrison's answer shows his self-cultivation as a politician: "For a long time in public life, I learned not to be thin-skinned, not to hold grudges, and to focus on work. You will be attacked from all sides... If you're not going to be thick skin to face this, you're doing the wrong job. I tend not to take things seriously. Morrison also said he hadn't spoken to Turnbull since he was accused of being a liar, and he didn't want to.
Morrison (left) and Turnbull, infographic
Separately, at an event in Melbourne, when asked again by a reporter if he had "never" lied in public life, Morrison reiterated that he believed he was honest. "That's what I believe," Morrison said.
In response to Morrison's remarks, Anthony Albanese, the leader of the Australian opposition and the leader of the Labour Party, who had just been accused by Morrison of being "in the middle", immediately "tore up". He said Morrison's denial of past remarks made his current remarks untrustworthy. "He (Morrison) always deviates from what he says, which is why, among all, he says he has never lied in public life so compellingly."
At the same time, a number of foreign media also quickly noticed the matter. As AFP reported, it interpreted this as " Australian leaders deny lying and resist French accusations " .
Screenshot of the AFP report
The British "Guardian" reported on the matter at the same time directly opened a separate report, listing 5 topics of Morrison's "false or incorrect speech", and asked: Morrison said that he "believes" that he has never lied in public life - is this a lie?
The Guardian said in the article: "Although there is no way to refute Morrison's point of view, we can awaken his memory." Morrison made false or incorrect statements on the following 5 topics for readers to judge, including examples of the prime minister's denials that could be seen as lies. "One example of this is about electric vehicles, and it's a topic that Morrison has been questioning in Australia recently.
On Tuesday, while releasing his own eviction policy, Morrison was asked about his past remarks about "opposing" electric vehicles, to which he replied: "I did not." This is just a lie of the Labour Party. I'm just opposing bill Shortton's coercive policies, trying to tell people how to live, what cars they should drive, where they can drive.
Australia's Labour Party's policy includes a target of 50 per cent of new cars being electric by 2030, which does not include mandatory requirements. On Thursday, the host of Channel Seven also pointed out that Labor's policy was not mandatory, when Morrison reacted by claiming that "they will raise fuel prices".
But the Guardian notes that in fact, The Australian Labour Party wants to set pollution standards for cars and provide subsidies for electric vehicles, neither of which will push up petrol prices.
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer Network and may not be reproduced without authorization.