Former NZ tourism boss becomes Australia PM

24th August 2018 By Paul Yandall | paul@tourismticker.com | @tourismticker

A former New Zealand tourism boss has become the 30th Prime Minister of Australia.

Scott Morrison has taken over from Malcolm Turnbull after winning a leadership vote for Australia’s Liberal Party against fellow runner Peter Dutton.

Scott Morrison

Turnbull had been under pressure from poor polling and a looming election, prompting a revolt by conservative MPs within the Liberals. He was forced to call for two leadership elections but did not stand for the second, paving the way for Morrison’s win.

Morrison served as deputy chief executive of the Australian Tourism Task Force in the mid-1990s before becoming the general manager of the Tourism Council of Australia.

He moved to New Zealand in 1998 to become the inaugural director of the newly created Office of Tourism and Sport and reported directly to tourism minister Murray McCully. The Office of Tourism and Sport became the Ministry of Tourism before being absorbed into the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in 2012.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, soon after his arrival, Morrison was “embroiled in a highly publicised power struggle between McCully and the NZ Tourism Board, an organisation independent of the minister”.

Morrison took the minister’s side but an inquiry by NZ Auditor-General criticised his commissioning and handling of a report critical of the board. The struggle led to several resignations at the NZ Tourism Board and, eventually, McCully himself.

During his time at the helm of the Office of Tourism and Sport, Morrison was involved in the creation of the 100% Pure New Zealand brand – a brand that endures to this day.

Morrison left his contract in 2000 – a year early – to return to Australia where he became head of Tourism Australia in 2004 and was responsible for the “Where the bloody hell are you?” campaign. He was sacked from the role in 2006 after falling out with federal tourism minister Fran Bailey.

He entered Australia’s House of Representatives in the 2007 federal election.