A decade ago Crikeydiscussed Tony Abbott’s complete lack of interest in facts and predicted he would be our first postmodern prime minister. But Abbott’s disregard for facts was in the service of a political agenda of constant, remorseless attack and negativity in relation to his opponents. Scott Morrison lies occasionally about his opponents, yes, but most of his lies are about himself, or his government, and what it has done, or failed to do; often he has lied about things he himself has said or done, as if he wasn’t present when a woman refused to shake his hand and he turned his back on her, or he didn’t carefully explain to Parliament that the secretary of prime minister and cabinet had given him no update about his report in relation to Brittany Higgins.