Peter Dutton says Malcolm Turnbull offered him Julie Bishop’s job
Julie Bishop has responded after Peter Dutton claimed Malcolm Turnbull was prepared to sideline her to prevent another spill.
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Julie Bishop has said she was never told about Malcolm Turnbull’s alleged offer to “gift” Peter Dutton the role of deputy Liberal leader after the first bitter leadership spill last year.
The Home Affairs Minister has reiterated his claim that Mr Turnbull offered him Ms Bishop’s role to head off a second spill in an explosive new documentary, which airs on Sky News tonight.
“He offered me the deputy leader position,” Mr Dutton told Sky.
“I said to him, given what had just taken place, that wasn’t credible. It wasn’t his to gift either.”
Mr Turnbull denies offering Mr Dutton the role.
Ms Bishop did not back the former prime minister’s denial today but said she was unaware of the discussion between Mr Turnbull and Mr Dutton.
“There’s obviously a conflict over the version of events,” she told AAP in Brisbane.
She added: “But everyone knows you can only achieve the deputy leadership of the Liberal party by a ballot of the party room.”
Mr Dutton calls Mr Turnbull’s resignation ‘vindictive’ and ‘selfish’ in the first episode of Sky News’ Bad Blood/ New Blood mini-series tonight, which airs from 8pm.
“He chose to leave in a way that John Howard never would,” Mr Dutton said.
“In a way that Kevin Rudd didn’t, in a way Julia Gillard didn’t and it was done simply out of spite.”
Mr Dutton’s claim provoked a response from Mr Turnbull’s office who said his comments were “nonsense” and that Mr Turnbull would have made no such offer.
The idea was raised, apparently, by Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who was a supporter of Mr Dutton.
A supporter of Mr Turnbull said that the former Prime Minister was always a proponent of Julie Bishop and would not have cast her aside, and neither would the party room.
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When Sky News political editor David Speers asked Mr Dutton if he believed he could have won the election as leader, Mr Dutton responded: “All credit to Scott Morrison because I think he has provided the leadership that Malcolm never could,” he said. “I only stuck my hand up last August because I believe that I could have won the election.”
The series also reveals how an argument over dinner between Craig Laundy and Queensland MP Luke Howarth kicked off the leadership spill.
Mr Laundy said they caused a scene and it was then he knew the spill was brewing.
“We lost our temper,” he said. “It was a tense exchange.” Mr Laundy called Mr Turnbull straight after the dinner to warn him there could be a move against him.
“Malcolm said to me very clearly I would rather live on my feet than die on my knees,” Mr Laundy said.
A snap leadership spill was called the next morning.
Watch Bad Blood/New Blood tonight on Sky News from 8pm.
Originally published as Peter Dutton says Malcolm Turnbull offered him Julie Bishop’s job