Scott Morrison: The ‘Artful Dodger’ who is set to take centre stage as Australia’s next prime minister

Scott Morrison, Australia’s new prime minister, is a sports-obsessed evangelical Christian who describes himself as a “netball dad” but has been ruthlessly preparing for a career in politics since he door-knocked for his father’s local council campaign at the age of nine.

A staunch conservative who opposed same-sex marriage, Mr Morrison, 50, had a brief career as a child actor, which began with an almost prophetic performance of Oliver at his local church, where he was cast as the Artful Dodger (who, Dickens suggests, ended up in Australia’s penal colony). 

Mr Morrison’s performance not only secured him an agent and some television roles but anticipated his uncanny skills as a politician: he…

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