Scott Morrison’s f-bomb admission over Dominic Perrottet blow-up

Scott Morrison was confronted on live TV this morning with ongoing rumours about an explosive blow-up with the man likely to become NSW premier.

Scott Morrison has conceded for the first time that he dropped the f-bomb in a meeting with the incoming NSW premier Dominic Perrottet insisting it’s all part of the pair’s “honest relationship”.

But he’s poured cold water on reports that former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian could switch to federal politics with a corruption investigation cloud hanging over her head, suggesting she would need to clear that up before she considered next steps.

The Prime Minister was grilled on an expletive-laden exchange with Ms Berejiklian’s successor Mr Perrottet during an early morning TV blitz on Sunrise this morning.

Host David Koch asked Mr Morrison: “What do you think of Dominic Perrottet? There’s talk you’ve clashed with him in the past. You dropped the f-bomb in a phone conversation with him?”

But instead of denying the reports, Mr Morrison said it was all part of the pair’s robust relationship.

“We have got an honest relationship,’’ he responded, prompting raucous laughter from Kochie.

“When we disagree, we disagree. But the next day we get back to work. That is how normal people get on with each other when they know each other well. And we do.”

Scott Morrison’s outburst was to NSW treasure and potential new NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian

Perrottet: ‘Painful to deal with’

Contacted by news.com.au in August over the f-bomb reports, Mr Perrottet declined to comment, saying he was simply “not prepared to discuss what happens in private meetings”.

But he was not prepared to deny that Mr Morrison swore at him during the meeting.

However Federal Government sources said “if anyone has had a go at Perrottet he probably deserved it”.

“He is just very painful to deal with,” a Liberal source said.

The exchange was first reported by author and columnist Niki Savva in The Sydney Morning Heraldin August, where she claimed a “tired and cranky Prime Minister allowed his temper to get the better of him”.

“During the conference call, Morrison became increasingly belligerent with Perrottet’s questioning of elements of the package and focusing on the flaws,” she wrote.

“Morrison let loose, hurling the f-bomb at Perrottet. Perhaps Morrison forgot the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and his federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg were also on the call, so it was far from a private exchange, like the torrid one over GST moneys with the then Tasmanian treasurer now premier, Peter Gutwein, a few years ago.”

On Sunrise, Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not deny the encounter. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

PM caution on Berejiklian federal tilt

Mr Morrison has swiftly shut down speculation in the past over tensions with premiers including when it was reported that the Ms Berejiklian privately referred to him as “evil” over background briefings by his office denigrating her handling of Covid-19.

On the subject of her political future, Mr Morrison heaped praise on the departing Premier but issued a diplomatic response over reports that she might make a switch to federal politics to run in former PM Tony Abbott’s old seat.

With the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation likely to drag on for months or even years there’s little chance she will be cleared before the next federal election which is due in 2022.

The PM has said outgoing NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian should wait until her ICAC troubles are behind her before a potential tilt at Canberra. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“I am totally grateful for the work that Gladys has done as Premier,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“I join with the many thousands if not millions of people from NSW who are very sad that she has had to step down. She has a lot more to contribute, I know that. But they are issues for Gladys to work through when she is ready to do that.

“Right now she’s going to deal with the issues before her. I know she has a lot more to contribute, there are many ways I’m sure she can do that. When she has worked to those issues, I’m sure she will set out what she would like to do next. But I’m quite certain that people of NSW would love to see her contributing in one way or another.” he said.

“We have a proper selection process in our party, and there are many different ways, they don’t necessarily need to be in the parliament. But I respect Gladys. I want to wish you all the best.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison’s f-bomb admission over Dominic Perrottet blow-up