Leaked messages show key Liberal party members urging each other to vote with their heads not their hearts, leading to leadership hopeful Julie Bishop being knocked out in the first round.
The former deputy put her hand up for the Liberal leadership on Friday but received only 11 votes in the first round, leading to a showdown between Peter Dutton and eventual new Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The ABC on Sunday reports the "Friends of Stability" WhatsApp messaging group includes 19 Liberal Party members including frontbenchers Christopher Pyne, Paul Fletcher, Craig Laundy and Simon Birmingham.
"(Mathias) Cormann rumoured to be putting some WA votes behind Julie Bishop in round one," Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher wrote to the group.
"Be aware that this is a ruse trying to get her ahead of Morrison so he drops out and his votes go to Dutton.
"Despite our hearts tugging us to Julie we need to vote with our heads for Scott in round one."
Backbenchers Julia Banks, Trent Zimmerman and Lucy Gichuhi are also members of the group.
Senior Liberal MP Christopher Pyne told the group he had told Ms Bishop about the tactics "very respectfully".
Ms Bishop has since returned to Perth and is yet to decide if she will stay on as foreign minister in the new Morrison government.
"I am going to consider all my options and I am going to focus on running (in the City to Surf)," she said.
Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham praised Ms Bishop for being "the most significant woman in the history of the Liberal Party".
"We would love to see Julie continue, but that really is up to Julie," he told the ABC on Sunday.
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