Scott Morrison reveals his ‘one weakness’ is an empathy problem

Scott Morrison admits he has a problem with empathy as he reveals his ‘one weakness’ that will surprise NO ONE

  • Scott Morrison said his focus on fixing problems can be seen as lack of empathy 
  • Mr Morrison gave the analysis Monday as he kicked off his election campaign 
  • He was criticised over 2019-20 bushfires, floods and the Brittany Higgins saga 

Scott Morrison admits he could have more tact and empathy when dealing with voters that may turn many of them off at the polls.

When asked on Monday morning to describe what he views as his ‘biggest weakness’ the prime minister said he could often be misunderstood. 

‘I tend to go straight into problem solving mode… when I do that, people sometimes don’t think that I really understand how they’re feeling,’ he said on Sunrise. 

‘I can assure you I do… My father was a policeman, my brother is a paramedic. When we see a problem, we want to fix it.

‘People might criticise me for lacking a bit of that empathy on occasion, it’s because I’m just really focused on trying to solve the problems that they’re facing.’ 

Scott Morrison got a very frosty reception when he toured the bushfire ravaged town of Cobargo following his holiday in Hawaii (pictured) 

Mr Morrison used the examples of bushfire support to the tune of $2 billion, flood relief funding, and the JobKeeper program to illustrate his point. 

He tried to flip his answer into a swipe at Anthony Albanese, repeating his claims that Labor is ‘untested’.

‘That might not come across the right way. But my passion is to ensure that we deal with these problems because… they continue… and I can tell you it won’t be any easier under Labor because we know how to work these things through,’ he said. 

Mr Morrison has repeatedly been accused of not being compassionate towards those in difficult situations as recently as the northern NSW floods in March. 

Liberal MP Catherine Cusack quit the the party last month over claims the government originally only gave flood support payments to those in the Coalition seat of Page but not the nearby flood affected Labor seat of Richmond. 

Mr Morrison said on Monday his 'biggest weakness' was that he focuses on fixing problems which could be mistaken as a lack of empathy (pictured)

Mr Morrison said on Monday his ‘biggest weakness’ was that he focuses on fixing problems which could be mistaken as a lack of empathy (pictured) 

Ms Cusack then claimed a second funding package by NSW Premier Dom Perrottet for victims who had ‘fallen through the cracks’ was repeatedly denied co-funding by the federal government until she spoke up. 

In the Australian summer bushfires of 2019-20, Mr Morrison famously received a prickly reception in the fire ravaged town of Cobargo. 

Days earlier he had cut short an Hawaiian holiday as fires spread out over large swathes of the country with the excuse that he ‘doesn’t hold a hose’. 

His Coalition government in 2019 even paid $190,000 of taxpayer cash to an empathy consultant to teach them how best to show drought-stricken farmers they cared. 

And when the Brittany Higgins scandal erupted, Mr Morrison admitted he had trouble empathising with her until his wife Jenny explained to view the situation as if it were his own girls.  

Ms Higgins (pictured) responded on Twitter that Mr Morrison needed empathy training himself after her referred to rape allegations as a situation she 'found herself in'

Ms Higgins (pictured) responded on Twitter that Mr Morrison needed empathy training himself after her referred to rape allegations as a situation she ‘found herself in’ 

He later claimed parliament as a workplace had improved after the implementation of a new complaints mechanism, as well as counselling support service and the empathy training for MPs or staffers who step out of line.

But when Mr Morrison publicly reprimanded ex-Australia Post boss Christine Holgate for gifting expensive Cartier watches to her employees, it was too much for even Pauline Hanson.

‘Given the prime minister won’t apologise to Christine Holgate, it looks like the taxpayer-funded empathy training he’s been paying for was a complete waste,’ Senator Hanson said. 

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