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Morrison's swift action to shake off media

Treasurer Scott Morrison is facing an uphill battle to shake off reports of a pre-leadership spill deal with Malcolm Turnbull.

Ex-PM Tony Abbott (R) greets Malcolm Turnbull (C) and Scott Morrison
Scott Morrison has denied claims he joined Malcolm Turnbull in plotting against Tony Abbott. (AAP)

Shake it off.

Scott Morrison has adopted Taylor Swift lyrics to urge the media to move on from the Abbott-Turnbull leadership saga.

Having attended the American singing sensation's concert in Sydney with his daughters, the federal treasurer awoke to Fairfax reports of Malcolm Turnbull having offered him the treasurer's role in February.

"What happened in February and what happened later in the year were completely different issues and you should shake it off," Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

He admitted he did take a call from Mr Turnbull, but denied he was offered the treasurer's job, after the media report he was offered the spot if Mr Abbott was removed as prime minister.

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"(It was) a conversation of no consequence, of no arrangement, and no conclusion. That's it."

Labor frontbencher Stephen Jones said Mr Turnbull, Mr Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who was in the room with Mr Turnbull at the time of the phone call, had some explaining to do.

"We are less than 12 months away from an election, we need to know the character of the man who is the prime minister of Australia," the MP said.

Labor powerbroker Sam Dastyari revelled in the story, brandishing a copy of The Sydney Morning Herald as he called on the treasurer to confess his role in the coup.

Senator Dastyari told reporters he was a "connoisseur and expert" in leadership spills, referring to his part in the downfall of Labor leaders Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

"There has been lie after lie being perpetrated," he said of the events surrounding the toppling of Mr Abbott.

"The treasurer needs to come clean."

Liberal MP Angus Taylor said the report was "water under the bridge".

"We have a new prime minister, we're getting on with the job," he told reporters in Canberra.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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