The reason Scott Morrison has shunned lavish PM’s residence in Sydney

Since being sworn in as prime minister at the end of last month, Scott Morrison has tried to distinguish himself from his predecessor. Now, he has seemingly driven an ever wider wedge between himself and self-made millionaire Malcolm Turnbull, after he declined to move his family into the lavish Kirribilli House and instead stay in his modest Sydney home.

Thanks to his position as leader of Australia, Morrison is entitled to move into the impressive government property, which is widely regarded as the “best address in Australia”. However, Morrison has opted to stay put in his modest three-bedroom family home in Sutherland Shire.

Speaking to radio hosts Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones on Friday, Morrison revealed the reason he is reluctant to move his wife, Jenny, and daughters Abbey and Lily, into the 1850’s mansion is down to the girls’ schooling, as they attend a local private Baptist school.

According to the Daily Mail, he said: “We’re looking at that at the moment. It’s not something we really thought much about and our girls go to school locally and they’ll continue to do that and that’s really important. Jen is keeping family life very much the same.”

Read more: ‘We’ve got doors falling off’: Scott Morrison’s wife on his dodgy DIY skills.

Ousted PM Turnbull also rejected a move to Kirribilli House, instead remaining at his lavish $5.4 million mansion in Sydney’s super exclusive Point Piper property, which he purchased with wife Lucy in 1994.

Kirribilli House, which boasts impressive views of Sydney Harbour and the iconic Opera House, has been the Sydney residence of Aussie prime ministers since 1957 and is next door to the Governor-General’s home, Admiralty House.

The Gothic-style mansion, according to the NSW government, often plays host to politicians and dignitaries from around the globe.

Read more: Scott Morrison confirmed as Australia’s latest prime minister.

Earlier this month, Morrison and his wife Jenny, who married the PM at the age of 21, appeared on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair in their first joint interview since the 50-year-old former treasurer landed the top job, with registered nurse Jenny revealing that, while she is proud of her husband, she often wishes he had a regular job.

“I’m very proud of Scott,” she said. “And it’s fantastic that he could actually be prime minister but, yeah, sometimes I just wish he was a plumber or something. Or even a builder because I’ve got doors falling off.

“It is daunting to say the least, but just take each day as it comes and we’ll just make it work,” she added.

What are your thoughts on this story? Do you think it is a humble move by Scott Morrison, to remain in his three-bedroom family home?