Malcolm Turnbull memoir: PM Scott Morrison says no tension with Mathias Cormann

Scott Morrison firmly rejects Malcolm Turnbull’s claims he has a difficult relationship with his Finance Minister.

Richard Ferguson

@RichAFerguson

less than 2 min read

9:42AMApril 17, 2020.

Updated 10:27AMApril 17, 2020

Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann. Picture: Sam Mooy/AAP

Scott Morrison has denied his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull’s claims that he has a difficult relationship with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

The former prime minister writes in his explosive new memoir, A Bigger Picture, that the Finance Minister called the now-Prime Minister a “Machiavellian plotter” and that Senator Cormann regarded Mr Morrison as “emotional, narcissistic and untrustworthy.”

Mr Morrison was asked on Friday if there were any tensions between him and Senator Cormann. He replied: “No”

“Mathias and I have worked on six budgets together,” Mr Morrison told Melbourne’s 3AW radio.

“I’m just going to let all those (accusations) to go through the keeper … I’m focused on the job I’m very committed to.”

Senator Cormann refused to comment on Mr Turnbull’s new book and his accusations on Friday.

“I wish Malcolm and his family very well for the future,” he told Sky News.

“I have no time (to read Mr Turnbull’s book).”

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop also confirmed Mr Turnbull’s claim that she pushed for former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd to be nominated as United Nations Secretary-General, but said she did not remember Mr Morrison lobbying against such a move.

“I worked very hard to promote a former Australian prime minister to have an opportunity to run for the Secretary-Generalship of the United Nations … Kevin Rudd wanted to be in the contest so I thought we should support him to at least be in the contest,” she told Sky News.

“I don’t recall those details (Mr Morrison’s role in denying Mr Rudd the UN nomination) … I’m sure Malcolm kept copious notes.”

Mr Turnbull reveals in his book that when he told Mr Rudd he would ultimately not back his bid to run the UN, the ex-Labor prime minister called him “you little f***ing rat, you piece of shit.”