Liberal MP Scott Morrison has refused to swear on a bible during an interview with 2GB radio host Ray Hadley.
Mr Morrison was interviewed on Hadley’s show on Friday morning following an appearance on Monday during which he said he has "no idea" if people were plotting against Mr Abbott.
The conversation took a bizarre turn when Hadley asked Mr Morrison to prove he was telling the truth.
"If you look down to your right hand side of the studio there’s a book there," he said.
"There's not actually," Mr Morrison replied.
Mr Hadley: "Well there should be a book there…One of my staff will get it for you."
"As a man who’s confirmed with me on many, many occasions of your staunch religious beliefs...do you understand now that I think you misled me and my listeners on Monday?"
Mr Morrison: "Well I didn’t, Ray."
Mr Hadley: "Well, there’s a bible there. Do you want to put your right hand on it and swear on that bible?"
Mr Morrison told Mr Hadley there was no bible in the studio and he didn’t think religion had any place in the conversation.
"You get to judge my policies but you don't get to judge my faith. I haven't misled you in any of our discussions over years."
The exchange was soon trending on Twitter across Australia:
Mr Morrison told Mr Hadley he had he informed the former prime minister's office that things were "febrile" and they should be on "high alert" before the spill.
He objected to Mr Hadley's suggestion that the minister's six closest supporters in the Liberal party room could have been convinced to back Mr Abbott, which would have saved Mr Abbott's job.
Mr Morrison said he "was not Bill Shorten" in terms of ordering factional colleagues to vote in a particular way.
"If they didn't want to vote for Mr Abbott and wanted to vote for Mr Turnbull, I should have got them to act like robots and do something against their judgment? That is what you are asking me to do?" he said.
"I don't give instructions."
Mr Morrison said he voted for Mr Abbott and gave him "utter loyalty" throughout the term of the government.
He said he could not understand why Mr Abbott offered him the job of treasurer and deputy leader on Monday, just hours before the ballot.
"I didn't understand why he wanted me to pick a fight with Joe Hockey and throw him under the bus and pick a fight with Julie Bishop, who I have no grievance with."
- With AAP
