Tony Abbott has attacked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's credibility over his denials that a proposal to cut immigration was taken to cabinet.
It was reported that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton talked to "cabinet colleagues" about a proposal to cut immigration by 20,000 people a year, but Mr Turnbull said the story was false.
"I thought, look, they're being very clever with words here," Mr Abbott told 2GB radio on Wednesday.
"He's tried to speak very emphatically in denying something which he knows is substantially true."
Mr Abbott said Mr Turnbull had "made the government look tricky" and he suspected the "clever barrister" has come out.
He said the proposal might not have been submitted to cabinet, but it was discussed between cabinet ministers.
Mr Turnbull was asked on Tuesday if Mr Dutton had raised the issue of cutting immigration and he rejected it.
"The story on the front page of The Australian today about migration and the cabinet is completely untrue," Mr Turnbull told reporters.
"It's false and the journalist concerned should consider the reliability of his sources."
Mr Dutton said he agreed with the prime minister's comments, but wouldn't say if he took his proposal to cabinet or just discussed it with other ministers.
"Of course there are discussions that take place around what the figures should be, the benefits of different aspects of migration," Mr Dutton told reporters on Wednesday, adding such discussions took place annually.
"I'm not going into the detail of what was said at what meeting on what date. I've seen the comments of the prime minister yesterday and I fully endorse those."
