There was chatter again on the hill, for Christopher Pyne's word had been passed around and what was Malcolm Turnbull to do?
Grab his leather jacket.
With Tony Abbott again rearing his head with a way to "make Australia work again", the prime minister headed south to the Snowy Mountains to check in on his so-called Snowy 2.0.
Investigative drilling will soon start on the $2 billion expansion of the famous hydro scheme and Mr Turnbull was in Cooma on Wednesday to hear all about it.
The machinery also provided the perfect backdrop for the now-prime minister to again talk up his energy policy of storage and generation.
It was a sharp contrast to Mr Abbott's fresh push for a freeze on the renewable energy target and a moratorium on new wind farms, that he called for in a Tuesday speech to the Institute of Public Affairs.
Mr Turnbull was sure to again remind Mr Abbott the RET, as it's known, was negotiated under his leadership.
"I am not into political slogans," he told reporters, in an apparent dig at Mr Abbott's new six-point plan to get the government back on track.
"I am into engineering and economics."
While his predecessor commits to staying around, insisting a strong conservative voice is needed more than ever, Mr Turnbull denied it's a threat to his authority.
"There is nothing more conservative than ensuring you have affordable and reliable electricity," he told reporters.
Despite calls for Mr Pyne to be dumped for his leaked comments at an after party following the Liberal Federal Council at the weekend - in which he suggested same-sex marriage was around the corner and boasted about the power of the left - Mr Turnbull was standing by his ministry.
"All my ministers have my support. I have a great team and we're delivering great results for the Australian people."
He wasn't interested in talk of a reshuffle or about counselling Mr Abbott. Instead he stood determined and proud amongst the scheme's engineers.
"My message to politicians and journalists alike, in the happy family, in the big House in Canberra, is don't focus on yourselves, focus on the people who elected us."
In other words, leave the hill and enjoy the Snowy Mountains air.
