Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been denied membership to Sydney’s exclusive all-male Australian Club.
That’s according to reports from the Sydney Morning Herald who received intel that Morrison’s application had been deferred.
Morrison was reportedly put forward to the club for membership by former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard and Bruce Baird, a previous member for the seat of Cook.
The Australian Club, situated on the ninth floor at 165 Macquarie Street, is an exclusive, all-male club that counts some of Australia’s most influential men among its members.
It made headlines in 2021 when members of the elite club voted against allowing women to join the group. Almost 700 members turned up for the vote, with the majority voting against women joining.
The club was founded in 1838, with members including a number of former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, CEOs, bankers, and judges. As Elaine Stead wrote for Women’s Agenda in 2021, shortly after it rejected allowing women as members, men become members of the club because it provides and reinforces a network of influence.
As to why Morrison has not been admitted as member, details are sparse, however the Sydney Morning Herald suggested his secretive appointments to multiple ministries during his prime ministership may have something to do with it.
Morrison’s denial of entry to the club comes as local sales for his recently released memoir Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness have been slow.
The book is less of a political memoir and more “pastoral encouragement”, reflecting on how God and his Christian faith helped guide him throughout his political career and four-year leadership of Australia.
“Most politicians write books about what they’ve done; this story is about what I believe God has done for me,” Morrison told The Australian ahead of the book’s release.
Morrison resigned from federal parliament in Feburary this year.