Scott Morrison spends hours replying to memes on Facebook

Scott Morrison spent hours making and replying to memes on Facebook after employment experts said he will struggle to get a private sector job following the ‘minister for everything scandal’.

The former prime minister, who remains the MP for Cook, has not had this much time on his hands since entering government as immigration minister in 2013. 

He spent much of Thursday replying to memes which mocked him after it was revealed he secretly made himself minister for health, finance, resources, home affairs and treasurer in 2020 and 2021.

Hundreds of Australians joined the fun, joking that Mr Morrison had also become a model, tree lopper, NRL coach, jetboat captain, tiler and rock singer. 

Mr Morrison replied to one meme showing him modelling tight denim shorts, a shirt and an Akubra hat by saying: ‘This is starting to get a bit weird. But at our house we’re having a good laugh about it. I prefer the caps to the Akubras.’ 

He responded to another meme depicting him as a jet boat captain by writing: ‘Excited to be back in the tourism industry.’

Mr Morrison was head of Tourism Australia until he was fired in 2006. 

The former PM even had time to make his own meme, showing him as part of comedy troupe Sooshi Mango.

Sooshi Mango joked back that they were appointing themselves as ‘Minister of the Australian Tax Office’. 

One of their jokes is that Australians of Italian origin are experts at reducing their tax bills.

Melbourne-based Jefford Tree Services joined in on the pile-on, sharing a photo to their Facebook page on Thursday of an arborist working on a tree photoshopped to have Mr Morrison’s face.

‘WHAT! LOOK WHO JOINED THE TEAM!’ the company wrote.

‘Scott Morrison (ScoMo) just added Lead Climbing Arborist to his portfolio and started working for us without telling anyone!

‘Great to have you on board Scomo!’ 

Mr Morrison commented on the photo and chose to embrace the mockery.

‘I’ll let you know if I need any work done. What time do you need me for my first shift?’ he wrote.

He replied to another meme showing him as boss of his NRL team Cronulla Sharks by saying: ‘Don’t mind this one either. But that job is definitely filled and Fitzy is doing an awesome job. UpUpCronulla. 

Eventually he grew tired of replying and called it a day, writing: ‘It’s been fun joining in on all the memes. But there are so many now I can’t keep up. As Aussies we can always have a chuckle at ourselves.’ 

It came after a leading consumer psychologist said Mr Morrison may find it hard to get a job after politics because the ‘minister for everything’ scandal will turn off private companies.

Adam Ferrier, the founder of brand strategy firm Thinkerbell, claimed the former Prime Minister – when he eventually leaves politics – will do so with his reputation tainted by the scandal.

‘This latest scandal makes him seem underhanded and self-serving as well. It’s difficult to see who would want that combination reflected in their corporate culture,’ Mr Ferrier said.

Employment specialist Sue Ellson said Mr Morrison would still have a shot at employment in the private sector but the scandal may have lowered his future earnings.

‘People who have recently held senior leadership positions still have a lot of connections that may be considered valuable despite their public persona,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Yes, it is a risk, but some will see it as a manageable risk or possibly a way to negotiate a lower remuneration package.’

Commenters either found Mr Morrison’s jokes funny or outrageous. 

‘Clearly you have no clue,’ one furious commenter wrote.

‘This is pathetic and shows your clear disregard and disrespect for the Australian people. This is not funny.’

‘You think the running of this country is a joke. Have some humility and say you made a mistake. We don’t need US-style gloating about how badly you behaved in office,’ another said.

One wrote: ‘Good on you for being a good sport! At least we can all have a good laugh in these times of madness! Don’t let the lunatics get to you.

‘Good to see ScoMo handling this in the best way, with humour. Well done, no harm no foul, play on,’ another wrote. 

Mr Morrison has insisted that he acted ‘in good faith’ throughout the Covid pandemic and was doing what he thought was best for the nation.

But his critics have accused him of having a power trip and deceiving the Australian public – as well as parliamentary colleagues – by secretly taking on the extra ministerial portfolios.

Mr Morrison insisted on Wednesday that Australians wouldn’t understand his power grab because they had never been prime minister.

He argued he was not acting like a dictator because he was democratically elected.

During a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday, he was asked why he had deceived Australians and his closest colleagues who were not told they were sharing their jobs with their boss.

‘I don’t share that view,’ he replied calmly. ‘The powers were established as an emergency power.’

Despite refusing to resign as the MP for Cook, Mr Morrison has set up a new company called Triginta Pty Ltd and appointed himself director. Triginta means 30 in Latin and Mr Morrison was the 30th Prime Minister.