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| Scott Morrison 'offended' by Hadley's request to swear on Bible he backed Abbott | Scott Morrison 'offended' by Hadley's request to swear on Bible he backed Abbott |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scott Morrison has said he was “offended” and “disappointed” that his friend the broadcaster Ray Hadley pressed him to swear an oath on the Bible to prove he was telling the truth about his actions in the Liberal leadership upheaval. | Scott Morrison has said he was “offended” and “disappointed” that his friend the broadcaster Ray Hadley pressed him to swear an oath on the Bible to prove he was telling the truth about his actions in the Liberal leadership upheaval. |
| Morrison confirmed to Hadley on his Macquarie Radio show on Friday morning that Tony Abbott approached him to be deputy leader and treasurer just hours before the leadership ballot that lost him the prime ministership, effectively throwing “Joe Hockey under a bus”. | Morrison confirmed to Hadley on his Macquarie Radio show on Friday morning that Tony Abbott approached him to be deputy leader and treasurer just hours before the leadership ballot that lost him the prime ministership, effectively throwing “Joe Hockey under a bus”. |
| Related: Ray Hadley's blind rage against Morrison reveals shock jocks know their influence is waning | Related: Ray Hadley's blind rage against Morrison reveals shock jocks know their influence is waning |
| The social services minister is widely tipped to take the treasurer’s role in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, sparked by Malcolm Turnbull’s successful leadership challenge. He denied that Turnbull had approached him to take the key position. | The social services minister is widely tipped to take the treasurer’s role in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, sparked by Malcolm Turnbull’s successful leadership challenge. He denied that Turnbull had approached him to take the key position. |
| “I’ve never been offered the job of treasurer by Malcolm Turnbull,” Morrison told Hadley. “The only person who offered me the job of treasurer before the ballot was Tony Abbott.” | “I’ve never been offered the job of treasurer by Malcolm Turnbull,” Morrison told Hadley. “The only person who offered me the job of treasurer before the ballot was Tony Abbott.” |
| He continued: “I can’t understand why he had offered me that job when he had shown such support for Joe Hockey. He was asking me to throw Joe Hockey under a bus.” | He continued: “I can’t understand why he had offered me that job when he had shown such support for Joe Hockey. He was asking me to throw Joe Hockey under a bus.” |
| Morrison added pointedly that one of Abbott’s greatest strengths was his loyalty. He said he did not understand how Abbott would have been able to explain the change of treasurer to the public, in light of Abbott’s past declarations of support for Hockey. | Morrison added pointedly that one of Abbott’s greatest strengths was his loyalty. He said he did not understand how Abbott would have been able to explain the change of treasurer to the public, in light of Abbott’s past declarations of support for Hockey. |
| Morrison later told reporters he believed Abbott’s deputy leadership offer would only broaden the conflict in the party and had been poorly thought through “in haste” amid fast-moving events. | Morrison later told reporters he believed Abbott’s deputy leadership offer would only broaden the conflict in the party and had been poorly thought through “in haste” amid fast-moving events. |
| “I went and saw Joe Hockey and said I wouldn’t be taking his position,” he said. | “I went and saw Joe Hockey and said I wouldn’t be taking his position,” he said. |
| In a press conference before the spill on Monday evening, Hockey publicly advocated a vote for Abbott. “The prime minister has my absolute loyalty, as I have his,” he said at the time. | |
| Morrison was grilled on Friday by the Macquarie Radio presenter, who usually interviews him on Monday mornings. The broadcaster tried to make the minister swear on a Bible that he had not misled him about his support for Abbott during their interview last Monday, the day of the leadership spill. | |
| “It would make it easier for people to believe you,” Hadley said. | “It would make it easier for people to believe you,” Hadley said. |
| Morrison shot back: “I’m a man of my word and, if you can’t accept that, then that’s your problem. It’s an offensive thing to do to use people’s faith in an interview like this.” | Morrison shot back: “I’m a man of my word and, if you can’t accept that, then that’s your problem. It’s an offensive thing to do to use people’s faith in an interview like this.” |
| He said if Hadley needed such reassurance their friendship was not as strong as he had thought. | He said if Hadley needed such reassurance their friendship was not as strong as he had thought. |
| “We’re mates, mate, but that does step over the line,” Morrison said. | |
| Hadley replied that Morrison was “either happy to do it or you’re not” and it was “a very simple request”. Hadley continued: “You’re a man of faith. It’s no good me swearing on a Bible; I don’t share your faith.” | |
| Morrison said: “I will do it, Ray, but I think it’s a very offensive thing for you to ask me to do but I’ll do it if that’s what you require...if you insist I will.” | |
| Hadley did not persist with the demand. “I won’t insist on anything; it’s up to you...We’ll talk to you sometime in future. Thank you.” | |
| In a media conference immediately after the interview, Morrison said made his displeasure clear. “I was not bullied when I was stopping the boats by people smugglers. I won’t be bullied by anybody in this place [Parliament House] or outside this place.” | In a media conference immediately after the interview, Morrison said made his displeasure clear. “I was not bullied when I was stopping the boats by people smugglers. I won’t be bullied by anybody in this place [Parliament House] or outside this place.” |
| But Morrison rejected the suggestion that he would boycott Hadley’s show, saying he was sure they would talk again “after the dust has settled”. | But Morrison rejected the suggestion that he would boycott Hadley’s show, saying he was sure they would talk again “after the dust has settled”. |
| Related: A painful morning for Alan Jones, who told Malcolm Turnbull he'd never be PM | Related: A painful morning for Alan Jones, who told Malcolm Turnbull he'd never be PM |
| “People who’ve had good relationship always try working on those relationships,” the minister told journalists after the interview. | “People who’ve had good relationship always try working on those relationships,” the minister told journalists after the interview. |
| Morrison has faced accusations from the party’s conservative supporters that he did not make adequate efforts to deter colleagues from voting for Turnbull. He issued a brief statement on Monday evening saying he would vote for Abbott and would not run for any leadership position but, unlike Abbott’s closest supporters, he did not call a media conference to advocate his case. | Morrison has faced accusations from the party’s conservative supporters that he did not make adequate efforts to deter colleagues from voting for Turnbull. He issued a brief statement on Monday evening saying he would vote for Abbott and would not run for any leadership position but, unlike Abbott’s closest supporters, he did not call a media conference to advocate his case. |
| In the interview with Hadley, Morrison resisted the suggestion he should have deterred five of his close supporters from voting for Turnbull: “So if they didn’t want to vote for Mr Abbott and wanted to vote for Mr Turnbull I should have forced them to act like robots?” | In the interview with Hadley, Morrison resisted the suggestion he should have deterred five of his close supporters from voting for Turnbull: “So if they didn’t want to vote for Mr Abbott and wanted to vote for Mr Turnbull I should have forced them to act like robots?” |
| Hadley said: “Would it distress you to know that Tony Abbott feels betrayed by you? | Hadley said: “Would it distress you to know that Tony Abbott feels betrayed by you? |
| Morrison replied: “Well he hasn’t expressed that to me. Has he expressed that to you?” | Morrison replied: “Well he hasn’t expressed that to me. Has he expressed that to you?” |
| Hadley stated: “Someone close to the former PM said of you in the last 24 hours to me that Scott has badly blotted his copybook.” Later, while taking a call from a listener, Hadley identified Abbott as the source of the comment. | |
| Morrison continued to defend his loyalty. “At the end of the day, I voted for Tony Abbott; I gave him utter loyalty for the entire time I served as his minister and his shadow minister. I did everything I could to make his government a success … and at the end of the day the party room made a decision because of the performance of the government. I supported the prime minister; he offered me the job of treasurer hours out from that ballot.” | Morrison continued to defend his loyalty. “At the end of the day, I voted for Tony Abbott; I gave him utter loyalty for the entire time I served as his minister and his shadow minister. I did everything I could to make his government a success … and at the end of the day the party room made a decision because of the performance of the government. I supported the prime minister; he offered me the job of treasurer hours out from that ballot.” |
| Morrison also disclosed that he had warned the prime minister’s office on Friday last week that the atmosphere was “febrile” and they should be on high alert. | Morrison also disclosed that he had warned the prime minister’s office on Friday last week that the atmosphere was “febrile” and they should be on high alert. |
| When asked what had sparked that warning at a press conference after the interview, Morrison said: “I was in this building for the week. You were all in this building for the week as well. You probably could have rung the prime minister’s office and said the same thing.” | When asked what had sparked that warning at a press conference after the interview, Morrison said: “I was in this building for the week. You were all in this building for the week as well. You probably could have rung the prime minister’s office and said the same thing.” |
| Peter Dutton, the immigration minister and a close Abbott supporter, said he would not beg for his job but indicated he was willing to serve Turnbull loyally, whether on the frontbench or the backbench. | Peter Dutton, the immigration minister and a close Abbott supporter, said he would not beg for his job but indicated he was willing to serve Turnbull loyally, whether on the frontbench or the backbench. |