PETER VAN ONSELEN: Teal mastermind Simon Holmes a Court’s unforgivable slur against an ex-PM proves lefties really do live on another planet. Time for a reality check

A former Australian Prime Minister is invited to an intimate private meeting with a new President of the United States… and all the haters can do is criticize him?

Yes, that is the state of affairs in public debate these days.

Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny were guests of Donald Trump for a New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where they posed for photos with the newly elected president, angering the former prime minister’s political critics.

Conga critics included Teal power broker and financier Simon Holmes-a-Court, who somehow compared Morrison’s popularity to that of convicted child molester Rolf Harris.

“Morrison is almost as popular as Rolf Harris,” he tweeted.

I mean, seriously, what a nasty and unfriendly attitude from someone who really should know better. Does Teal MPs Finances Holmes-a-Court agree with his comparison? If not, do they have the courage to condemn his comments and risk financial retaliation?

After all, the Teals claim that integrity is their most important mantra.

More generally, whatever one thinks of Trump, it is certainly a good thing for Australia that a former political leader has such a bond with the incoming US president.

The conga line of critics included Teal power broker and financier Simon Holmes-a-Court (pictured left, with his wife, second from right), who somehow compared Morrison’s popularity to that of the convicted child molester Rolf Harris.

It’s not like our ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, can pick up the phone and talk to Trump about pressing issues as they arise.

Their relationship remains tense after Rudd described Trump as a “traitor” and “the most destructive president in history.”

Anthony Albanese’s relationship with Trump is little better, following similar derogatory comments he made during Trump’s first bid for the White House.

Trump critics on the left are rightly sickened by some of the allegations that have come to light about his behavior over the years.

They point to his history of inappropriateness toward women — such as his “grab them by the p***y” remark and hush money against porn star Stormy Daniels — and his encouragement of protesters who stormed the Capitol following his 2020 election defeat of Joe Biden.

But like it or not, Trump is back and Australia is now dealing with a host of controversial policy promises he made during the campaign, including his plans to increase tariffs that could cripple Australian exports.

Morrison may be our only hope of convincing Trump to exempt Australia from that promised plan.

Instead of mocking Morrison’s relationship with the newly elected president, we should be grateful for it.

Instead of mocking Scott Morrison’s (photo) relationship with the president-elect, we should be grateful for it, argues Peter van Onselen

And I say that as someone who was a long-time Morrison critic during his premiership.

Morrison will be an important Australian chess piece over the next four years, if the government has the common sense to use him.

I witnessed first-hand how close the pair were during Morrison’s state dinner visit in late 2019, following his unexpected victory over Bill Shorten and Labor earlier that year.

During that trip, we journalists gained first-hand insight into their warm and sincere interactions. That is not Trump’s natural inclination when dealing with world leaders he has no soft spot for!

With Morrison planning to spend time in the US as a political adviser, there is an opportunity for Australia to benefit from that relationship.

You can be sure that Peter Dutton will seek Morrison’s help if he becomes prime minister after the next federal election.

It’s Albo’s job to do the same if he wins a second term.

The political hacks who despise Morrison and Trump must ask themselves how consistently they apply their virtuous contempt for the incoming president compared to the misdeeds of other former presidents.

For example, did they hold former President Bill Clinton to the same standards after it was revealed that he had oral sex with a 22-year-old intern in the Oval Office during his time in power (including while on the phone with elected members of the Oval office)? Congress?)

Or when Clinton misled the public about the scandal by declaring that he had “never had sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky, splitting hairs over the precise meaning of “sexual relations.”

And what about Biden’s recent decision to use his presidential authority to pardon his son Hunter Biden, after long promising he wouldn’t do so?

Are Morrison’s and Trump’s critics equally dismissive of these actions by presidents on the other side of the partisan divide?

I doubt it, because they deploy their outrage only selectively against partisan opponents, forgiving – or simply ignoring – the mistakes of those with whom they see eye-to-eye politically.

Virtue signaling loses its luster when it drips with hypocrisy and double standards.