While I was away Australian Prime Minister and Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison........

....continued his Trumpification of the Liberal Party of Australia with predictable results.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, aka Shouty McShoutface, October 2018

TIMELINE

1.  Despite considerable public debate concerning the phrase "it's OK to be white", the Morrison Government supported this divisive white supremacist-inspired motion in the Senate on 15 October 2018:

Following strong community backlash Morrison and Co blamed their support of this motion on an "administrative error".

2. Stood silent after his newly appointed environment minister Melissa Price insulted a former president of Kiri Bati on 16 October 2018 and later misled the House.

3. On 17 October 2018 announced a review of the Australian Government's long held position on Israel-Palestine conflict by suggesting that a) Australia should consider supporting Jerusalem as the official national capital of Israel and b) should consider moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - thereby offending the entire Muslim world including one of our trading partners with whom we are currently negotiating a lucrative free trade agreement.

4. On the same day he announced a review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) relating to Iran's nuclear program, in order to see if it remains the best vehicle to address the international community’s concerns. Signalling a possibility that before the year is out he will follow Donald Trump and withdraw support for the Plan.

5. On a bit of a roll, Morrison ended the day by throwing out the broad definition of science as the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentt - telling an audience peppered with published scientists that; the great magic of science, if you like. It starts with belief*.

6. Topping it all off, seven months out from a federal election, by forgetting to renew his scottmorrison.com.au domain name registration  and finding out on 19 October 2018 that it is now owned by Jack Genesin who appears to work for IT firm Digital Eagles.

7. He then went on to lose an unloseable by-election in the seat of Wentworth which had been held by Australian conservative MPs since its inception over 117 years ago in January1901. After campaigning for the Liberal Party candidate in this seat held by his immediate predecessor Morrison managed to produce a swing in Wentworth against his government of more than 19 per cent - possibly one of the largest loss margins in federal by-election history.

NOTES

* BELIEF 1. An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof. 1.1 Something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion. 1.2 A religious conviction. 2. Trust, faith, or confidence in (someone or something)