Tony Abbott's office has denied any wrongdoing over a trip the prime minister made to Melbourne which included attending a Liberal Party fundraiser.
Fairfax Media reports the prime minister scheduled a visit to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne on Tuesday morning to justify going to a party fundraiser on Monday night.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed on Wednesday that Mr Abbott had mentioned the two events at the coalition party room meeting on Tuesday morning.
But Mr Turnbull dismissed suggestions that Mr Abbott had deliberately scheduled the cancer centre visit to justify billing taxpayers, instead of the Liberal Party, for the Melbourne trip.
"He didn't say that to the party room," Mr Turnbull told ABC radio.
"Tony was quite upfront and said he had been in Melbourne and he had been to a fundraiser the night before."
Mr Abbott's office said in a statement that the party room meeting was private.
"All travel is within the rules," the statement said.
Parliamentary secretary Steve Ciobo said the prime minister had a long-standing commitment to medical research.
"It is an absurd proposition to suggest the prime minister is doing anything other than remaining focused as he has been over many, many years to advancing medical research in Australia," Mr Ciobo said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was up to Mr Abbott to explain the situation.
"What is most telling about these reports is there are Liberal Party members leaking against the prime minister," Mr Shorten said.
"A party and a leader that cannot govern itself cannot govern Australia."
Share
