Liberals turn on Julie Bishop after book claims her top adviser was involved in Abbott coup plot

IF Julie Bishop thought this scandal was behind her, she was wrong.

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING

THE poisonous Liberal Party tensions from the removal of Tony Abbott as Prime Minister are being revived today by fresh claims his deputy Julie Bishop was among the plotters.

Ms Bishop has been forced to confirmed her top adviser was at a “drinks” evening where the decision was made for Malcolm Turnbull to challenge for the leadership. On the Monday, Ms Bishop told Mr Abbott the party room no longer had confidence in his prime ministership and he was eventually ousted.

A new book claims Ms Bishop’s chief of staff and long-time adviser Murray Hansen attended the Sunday, September 13 meeting where it was decided Malcolm Turnbull would make his move.

The Foreign Minister, who is facing calls from Abbott diehards to explain herself, said the presence of her chief of staff Murray Hansen was “entirely consistent” with her previous claims she knew nothing of any plot against Mr Abbott.

“Nothing that has come out in this story contradicts anything that I have said publicly,” she told reporters today.

But it was the first time she had mentioned Mr Hansen’s role at the critical meeting.

The revelations have revived the tensions associated with Mr Abbott’s removal as Prime Minister and as she gave her account to reporters a passing member of the public heckled her saying, “You ambushed him.”

Ms Bishop said it was part of her job as deputy Liberal leader to know the thinking of colleagues and that she knew Mr Hansen was at the talks but hadn’t known who else would be there.

The sequence is portrayed in a book Battleground by academic Wayne Ermington and Sky News identity Peter Van Onselen.

The Foreign Minister has consistently said she acted independently, had no knowledge of the timing of the Turnbull challenge, and was not part of any plot. She even came close to tears on national television the day after Mr Abbott was toppled, telling viewers she “did what I had to do”.

Labor has seized on the revelations, and some of Ms Bishop’s own Liberal colleagues are demanding she explain herself.

Ms Bishop is under pressure to answer the question.

“If he was indeed in attendance at this meeting, if he was doing that without her knowledge, then I think it’s right that his position should be considered. But if she did know about it, I think there are some questions that need to be answered,” said Liberal Cory Bernardi.

Former Liberal minister Eric Abetz today also was quick to demand Foreign Minister Bishop explain her staffer’s presence at the confidential talks, and whether he was her representative.

“If that report is true it is disappointing and it raises a lot of questions,” Senator Abetz told Sky News.

“When I was a minister, I would never have countenanced my chief-of-staff going to such a meeting without my imprimatur and approval.

“And so, I think a question does need to be answered: Whether the chief of staff was there on a frolic of his own or with the imprimatur of the deputy leader. And I think the colleagues are entitled to know what exactly was going on.”

Shadow foreign minister Tanya Plibersek joined the chorus.

“It’s not just Labor saying Julie Bishop has questions to answer about her involvement in the stalking and bringing down of a prime minister,” she told reporters.

“Her own party are saying she has questions to answer, that it’s plain that she was up to her neck in the bringing down of Tony Abbott.”

Labor is keen to use the Abbott hangover to rattle the Turnbull government, and in effect is simply repeating the Liberal claims of instability launched after two Labor prime ministers were removed.

The Sunday meeting was at the home of MP for Eden-Monaro Peter Hendy and resulted in the challenge the next night which Mr Turnbull won 54-44.

Others at the meeting were Victorians Mitch Fifield and Scott Ryan, Queenslanders Wyatt Roy, James McGrath and Mal Brough, and Arthur Sinodinos and Mr Turnbull from NSW.

According to the book, Mr Hansen was the only participant who was not an MP or senator.

Originally published as Liberals turn on Julie Bishop after book claims her top adviser was involved in Abbott coup plot