Morrison liked to think he was unchained from orthodoxy – but was he actually unhinged from reality?

‘Throughout 2020 and 2021, as Morrison was collecting ministries like some kind of fetish, the only person who apparently knew was the governor general.’ Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Scott Morrison, in the book that revealed his penchant for portfolio hoarding, likens himself to the Depression-era treasurer Joseph Lyons.

According to the former prime minister, Lyons’ legacy was a guiding light for him during the pandemic, teaching him to unshackle himself from the political conformism of the day.