Like Donald Trump (left), Scott Morrison has been linked with QAnon, in his case through a 30-year friendship with Tim Stewart (right), Australia’s most prominent supporter of the far-right conspiracy group. Photos: NBC News, Crikey.com.au
“Crimes of ritual sexual abuse happened in schools, churches, youth groups, scout troops, orphanages, foster homes, sporting clubs, group homes, charities, and in family homes,” PM Scott Morrison told parliament in his formal apology to survivors of institutional child abuse in 2018.
This was standard (albeit moving) boiler plate wording for an apology of such magnitude, save for one rather sinister adjective which crept into the text: “ritual”. The Royal Commission into these matters never mentioned “ritual” sexual abuse in its report, so who convinced Morrison to put it in there?
Journalist David Hardaker says it was Tim Stewart, a mate of Morrison’s with a malevolent motive. “Stewart and key supporters specifically wanted Morrison to use the word ‘ritual’ as applied to sex abuse because it introduced the idea of secret ceremonies with Satan’s involvement”, Hardaker wrote.
A 30-year friend of the PM who Morrison called “an amazing guy”, Stewart proudly admits it was him. He also believes that an evil cabal of powerful paedophiles engages in such “rituals” and is trying to harvest children’s blood.
You read that last part correctly. A long-time friend of our PM, who appears to have his ear, is Australia’s most prominent proponent of US QAnon conspiracists who believe Satan-worshiping paedophiles secretly rule the world and mounted a “Deep State” plot against former president Donald Trump.
What could possibly go wrong?
The FBI has deemed QAnon’s conspiracy theories a terrorist threat, yet our Prime Minister pals around with the group’s most prominent Australian promoter. The potential for foreign influence from the loopiest of quarters is alarming.
Meanwhile, Jenny Morrison – besties with Stewart’s wife Lynelle, who worked as her taxpayer-funded helper until a few months ago – has taken to flashing a rather unusual hand sign typically displayed by racists and QAnon supporters at Trump rallies:
Tim Stewart’s wife, Lynelle (insert, centre) worked at taxpayer expense as a helper for Jenny Morrison (right). Is Mrs Morrison making the “White Power” sign – a popular gesture of racists and QAnon supporters at Trump rallies (left) – in this picture? Photos: Independent.co.uk, Magda Szubanski (Twitter), Jessie George (Twitter)
Stewart believes he can talk to cockroaches, and that both former American first lady Michelle Obama and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern are actually men, his family told Four Corners. So concerned were they about his bizarre beliefs – and the violence they have inspired among American QAnon followers – that on more than one occasion they called the national security hotline.
“I don’t understand why the PM would want to be seen to be with someone who has such radical beliefs”, sister Karen said.
At a recent media conference, Morrison attacked Four Corners for casting aspersions on him and his family. “I find it deeply offensive that there would be any suggestion that I would have any involvement or support for such a dangerous organisation. I clearly do not,” he said.
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Former US Homeland Security official, Miles Taylor, told Four Corners that Morrison could help put the matter to rest by severing ties with Stewart. “I think it’s important for (him) to disavow individuals either within (his) orbit or outside of (it) who harbour these types of extremist views,” Taylor said.
“We all have friends and family members that have unorthodox views, but when you’re put in a position of public trust you have to maintain the public’s trust.”
Stewart’s family (right) was so concerned about the violence his conspiracy theories have inspired overseas that they called the national security hotline. Photos: Reuters, Harriet Tatham (ABC Four Corners)
Australians surprised by the Four Corners report haven’t been paying attention.
For one thing, Morrison’s links to Stewart and the latter’s freakish views have been known since late 2019, when activist Ronni Salt broke the story on Dingo News, followed by Hardaker on Crikey. Not everyone reads Dingo News and Crikey, of course, and that raises an interesting question: why did mainstream media – including the ABC, which delayed the Four Corners broadcast – shy away from it until now?
Dingo News aside, Australians must have been blind without a cane if they didn’t notice that, for the better part of the last three years, Morrison was a simpering acolyte for the protagonist at the centre of QAnon’s loopiness, one Donald Trump. When Trump bolstered nationalism over globalism at the United Nations, Morrison parroted his points; when Trump attacked China on trade, Morrison agreed, no matter the consequences of antagonising our major trading partner.
Those consequences are now coming into view. Not only is China tormenting us on trade and looking for alternate iron ore suppliers, but the new US president, Joe Biden, seems less-than-impressed with Morrison’s fealty to his twice-impeached predecessor, having apparently snubbed the PM on two separate occasions, including last week’s G7 meeting.
Our leading defence and trading partners are offside. Nice job, Prime Minister.
Morrison’s self-defeating actions are those of a man who was seemingly intent on playing the role of pilot fish to Trump’s shark, with scant regard for Australia’s interests. If being mesmerised by the man at the middle of QAnon’s mythology doesn’t leave you vulnerable to its charms, maybe a 30-year friendship with the “paedophiles harvesting children’s blood” guy will do the trick. Snap out of it, Scott.
Morrison’s staunch support of the now-departed Trump seems to have cost him friends at last week’s G7 meeting (right). Photos: ABC, Sydney Morning Herald.
What this episode reveals is a Prime Minister (and his spouse) who – while not utterly beholden to Trump or QAnon – are clearly vulnerable to manipulation by close friends and charismatic leaders with loopy ideas. We all have such susceptibilities in one form or another, but only one of us has the responsibilities of Prime Minister.
The only world leader who dove further down the QAnon rabbit hole, Donald Trump, was convinced – in part by QAnon conspiracists – that last November’s election was stolen from him. Trump may yet face charges after encouraging supporters to march on the US Capitol on 6 January and “fight like hell”; what ensued was described as nothing less than an insurrection.
With more than a little difficulty, America has moved on from its QAnon-influenced leader. Given Morrison’s vulnerabilities, we could do worse than follow suit.
