For a man lauded for his political nous, Scott Morrison has a habit of ploughing headfirst into trouble.
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People who have dealt with the Prime Minister insist he learns quickly. While his handling of the bushfires was a political disaster, he doesn't make the same mistake twice, they explain.
But less than two years after being forced home from Hawaii, Mr Morrison is again fending off criticism for taking personal liberties during a national crisis.
As with the Black Summer bushfires, no rules were technically broken. And his argument this time, made to Sky News, took slightly more ownership than "I don't hold a hose".
But the trip was jarring for many Australians who have been told we are all in this together. Mr Morrison, who has urged sacrifices during COVID-19, again did not instinctively grasp the optics.
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That he was granted an exemption unavailable to most Australians is unlikely to placate them. The anger stems from whether the trip was fair, not whether it was legal.
At a time when millions are unable to visit loved-ones, wriggling free on a technicality was never a viable strategy.
His response came with apparent surprise, and only after a public backlash had gained momentum.
But given an occasional instinct to go underground during times of trouble, his rapid deployment to the airwaves, albeit to a friendly network, was telling.
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Speaking during Sky's hard news hours, rather than a softball 'after dark', showed the vacuum needed to be filled immediately. Accusations of "appalling judgement" could not go unanswered for a whole news cycle.
Transparency has always been an issue. The PM's minders tend to skirt past details they suspect won't play well. Questions over Brian Houston's invitation to the White House went unanswered for months, dismissed as "Canberra gossip" before a sudden admission.
And a trip to speak at a Christian conference, revealing he had practiced "laying-on of hands" as Prime Minister, went without a customary transcript released by his office. The jaunt was only uncovered by sifting through his travel log.