Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is enjoying a working holiday in Hawaii four years after sparking a political storm by escaping Australia’s bushfires on a business class flight.
News.com.au has confirmed Mr Morrison is in Hawaii with his wife, Jenny, for the first time since the couple was forced to cut short their controversial family holiday in 2019 after the secret trip was exposed.
Contacted on Friday night, Mr Morrison confirmed he was also in the region for work after being spotted by an Australian at a local restaurant.
“I have been a keynote speaker at the Pacific Forum Security Conference,” he said.
“Relevant disclosures will be made as usual.”
The Pacific Forum was held in Honolulu, Hawaii over January 16-17. Featured speakers included Admiral John C. Aquilino, commander of US Indon-Pacom, and Vice Admiral Jan Christian Knack, chief of the German Navy.
In December, 2019, Mr Morrison, who is still the MP for Cook in Sydney’s south, secretly escaped on a flight to Honolulu, with an eyewitness later emerging who claimed to have seen him check in.
Mr Morrison’s office had previously refused to disclose his whereabouts, saying only that he was on a family holiday.
It later emerged that Mr Morrison tipped off Anthony Albanese, who was then opposition leader, as well as some media outlets that he was taking a holiday and asked for privacy — but he never told them it was overseas.
Initially, Mr Morrison defended his decision not to reveal details of the holiday, with his office refusing to confirm the location or the dates of leave, citing security concerns.
His office later confirmed he would immediately fly home to Sydney following the deaths of two NSW volunteer firefighters, both fathers to young children, who were killed when their truck rolled.
“I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,” he said in a statement.
“I have been receiving regular updates on the bushfires disaster as well as the status of the search for and treatment of the victims of the White Island tragedy.”
He also defended the trip on 2GB radio famously declaring, “I don’t hold a hose, mate.”
“It’s not easy to get back, but I will as soon as I can,” Mr Morrison told 2GB radio.
“I know Australians will understand this, and they’ll be pleased I’m coming back … but they know that, you know, I don’t hold a hose, mate.”
Mr and Mrs Morrison have previously spoken of their regret over the holiday and the feeling they had let people down.
Mrs Morrison previously discussed the ill-fated vacation during a 60 Minutes interview.
“I am more than sorry if we disappointed,” she told host Karl Stefanovic.
“We did disappoint. Did we make the right decision? I thought I was making the right decision for my kids. I obviously was wrong. Yes, we were over there seeing it and we were like … we really need to get home.
“So … I wish that had never happened. But I can’t change it.”
Mr Morrison said the Hawaii trip was organised as “a surprise” for his two daughters.
“(Hawaii) is sometimes where we go privately for our holidays. We spend a lot of time in Australia,” he said.