Scott Morrison and Dan Andrews got it wrong. Here are 7 ways to get crisis leadership right

In an article published 2026‑01‑22, Suze Wilson and Toby Newstead analyse how former Australian leaders Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews responded to crises. They argue that Morrison’s 2019 Black Summer bushfires response—characterised by detachment and “I don’t hold a hose, mate”—and Andrews’ COVID lockdowns reflected a masculine, command‑and‑control prototype. Their new research examined 67 speeches by heads of state and identified seven virtues—courage, humanity, justice, prudence, temperance, transcendence and wisdom—that can shift leadership toward empathy and ethical decision‑making. The study notes that Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s January 2026 Natimuk brief, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge “we’ve got your back”, hint at a growing embrace of these virtues in contemporary Australian crisis response.