ScoMo clinches surprise book deal

Scott Morrison has clinched a book deal with a Christian publishing company based in the US.

The former prime minister is expected to release a “series of reflections” rather than a traditional memoir after signing a contract with Thomas Nelson Books, a Christian imprint of major publisher Harper Collins.

Mr Morrison let the cat out of the bag when he updated his register of members interests on Friday to list his royalties advance.

The move is likely to have taken his publishers by surprise, given it occurred in the middle of the night for staff at the New York-based company and came before any publicity announcements.

Mr Morrison and Harper Collins were contacted for comment.

The Cook MP and former Liberal leader is a devout Pentecostal Christian.

He delivered a sermon at a Perth church founded by controversial tennis champ Margaret Court last July in which he called for people to put their faith in Christ over governments.

Mr Morrison is rumoured to be planning to bow out of politics in the coming months, which would spell the third byelection in this parliamentary term and give him time to pen his book.

He spent a significant chunk of 2022 in the limelight despite losing the federal election last May after it emerged he had given himself control of five additional ministerial portfolios while he was prime minister.

Mr Morrison secretly had himself appointed to administer the health, finance, treasury, home affairs and industry, science, energy and resources ministries in 2020 and 2021.

The scandal resulted in rebukes from some senior Coalition MPs as well as an inquiry led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell which found Mr Morrison’s actions were “corrosive of trust in government”.

Mr Morrison has mostly kept quiet in the House of Representatives in the 12 months since his party lost government.