ABC 7.30: Scott Morrison says Peter Dutton is ‘fully supportive’ of Malcolm Turnbull

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison says he has been personally assured by Peter Dutton that he is “fully supportive” of the PM.

Treasurer Scott Morrison in Question Time in the House of Representatives Chamber, Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison says he has been personally assured by Peter Dutton that he is “fully supportive” of the Prime Minister, as Mr Morrison moved to hose down growing speculation there will be a move to oust Malcolm Turnbull.

Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 program tonight — the Prime Minister declined to be interviewed on the show — Mr Morrison said while politics “can be very volatile”, he believes Mr Turnbull would win the next election as leader.

“I spoke to Peter today in Question Time and he said his position hadn’t changed and he was fully supportive of the Prime Minster and the government’s policies,” Mr Morrison said, cooling speculation the Home Affairs Minister would make a bid for the top job.

“It’s become pretty clear, it’s been a pretty torrid decade. We’ve had a great period of stability over the past three years. I think this stability in our government has helped key outcomes like the strong performance we had on jobs.”

The Treasurer defended the government’s changes to the National Energy Guarantee, which they today announced would not include a legislated or regulated 26 per cent emissions target.

“I wouldn’t described it as drastic changes,” he said. “The policy remains as we took it to the party room with improvements. All of these things are basically ensuring that there is an emissions reductions target that sits within legislation … in the absence of bipartisan support for this policy, and, which frankly you need the Senate anyway to pass, in the absence of the Labor Party joining us to make this happen, then in the current situation in the Parliament we wouldn’t have been able to get it through the House of Representatives.”

Earlier today, Mr Turnbull conceded in Question Time he did not have the numbers in his own party room to pass the NEG legislation.

“We have a majority of one in this house, we need to have all almost all of our party room to support legislation or the government to carry it on its own numbers with respect to this matter,” Mr Turnbull said in response to taunts from Labor. “We are not in a position at this stage.”

Mr Morrison insisted the government is “practical” and doing all it can in a situation with a very slim majority.

“We are working in a tight parliament,” he said. “We are a practical government that is focused on getting outcomes and things done. We have got a lot done which people said we would never get done. The task of government is a difficult one and it is one which we relish and it is one that we throw ourselves into to get those results that we have seen … (Labor) don’t share that view. They want to make hay. They want to wreck. They want to disrupt. That is what you will get from Bill Shorten in opposition. That is what you will get from Bill Shorten in government.”