I didn’t send the text about Scott Morrison, says Marise Payne

Marise Payne has backed Scott Morrison after the leaking of a text exchange in which he was ­described as a ‘horrible person’’ and ‘psycho’.

Scott Morrison and Marise Payne, left, in Burwood, inner-west Sydney, on Wednesday. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Moderate Liberal faction leader Marise Payne has backed Scott Morrison as the “best person to lead this country’’ in a public show of support as senior cabinet colleagues rallied behind him after the leaking of a two-year-old text exchange in which he was ­described as a “horrible person’’ and “psycho’’.

The Foreign Minister said the alleged historic texts between former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and a federal cabinet minister, which were raised at the National Press Club on Tuesday, did not “match my long experience of working with him”.

Senator Payne joined Mr Morrison and Reid MP Fiona Martin on Wednesday night to meet with diners, shoppers and restaurant owners in the Sydney suburb of Burwood ahead of lunar new celebrations.

The federal government’s most senior NSW moderate said the description of the Prime Minister as a “horrible horrible person” by Ms Berejiklian and “a psycho” by the unnamed minister “have nothing to do with me”.

“I have never had such an exchange with the former premier, nor have I ever used such language, and nor did I leak messages, if indeed they are genuine,” Senator Payne said.

“It is ludicrous to suggest otherwise. He is the best person to lead this country now and into the future’’.’’

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher, another senior NSW moderate, also denied ­involvement in the text exchange. After a brutal National Press Club appearance on Tuesday where the texts emerged and Mr Morrison was attacked for being out of touch with voters after being asked a question about the price of bread, the Prime Minister will blitz marginal seats across the country before parliament returns next week.

Mr Morrison said most Australians didn’t care about “scuttlebutt that runs around Canberra”.

“What matters to the Australian people, as we go forward to this next election, is their job, their security, their health and wellbeing, the strength of their community that they rely on,” Mr Morrison said.

 

“What people say in text messages and on Twitter, frankly, doesn’t matter anything to their job, to what they pay for at the supermarket, or anywhere else for that matter.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and other government MPs publicly backed Mr Morrison, who said he was confident no one in his cabinet had sent the text. Federal Liberal MPs believe NSW Treasurer Matt Kean, who is close to Ms Berejiklian, was ­behind the leak despite his protestations.

After the alleged text conversation was raised at the NPC, Ms Berejiklian said she had “no recollection of such messages” and believed Mr Morrison was the “best person to lead our nation for years to come”.

Launching into campaign mode, Mr Morrison stopped for selfies in Burwood during a street walk and spoke with locals in the key battleground seat of Reid. The Smiling Dumpling owner Louie Zhang told Mr Morrison he launched the business during the pandemic and business was ­finally starting to pick up. “People are a bit more comfortable to come out now,” Mr Zhang said.

Attempting to reclaim electoral ground ahead of the March 29 budget and likely May election, Mr Morrison also travelled to the Blue Mountains-based electorate of Macquarie, won by Labor by 371 votes in 2019. Speaking in front of a RAAF Hercules, Mr Morrison spruiked his five-point economic growth plan and said “how you manage the nation’s ­finances, that’s what matters to the Australian people”.

He also amplified differences between his senior leadership team and their opposition rivals, claiming the Coalition was more trusted on economic and national security.

With the government stockpiling major announcements in the lead-up to the budget, Mr Morrison widened his attacks to Anthony Albanese’s senior frontbenchers, including opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers, opposition defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor and opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally.

“On economic security, you’ve got Josh Frydenberg, or you’ve got … Sneaky Jim. Or you’ve got on Defence, you’ve got Peter Dutton … doing an outstanding job as Defence Minister, and someone most people wouldn’t have heard of, Brendan O’Connor,” he told 2GB. “But you might remember this about Brendan O’Connor. He was one of Labor’s failed immigration ministers that couldn’t control our borders. And Anthony Albanese thinks he’s the guy that should be standing up for Australia’s interests.

“When it comes to Kristina Keneally, well, her record in NSW is well known. But who do you trust to protect those borders? Her, or Karen Andrews from Queensland, together with myself, and we’ve shown our resolve on those issues.”

Mr Albanese on Wednesday accused Mr Morrison of being “out of touch” on cost-of-living pressures. The Opposition Leader said “human beings make mistakes” but criticised Mr Morrison for failing to say sorry.

“I think it would have been appropriate for him to do so. But what would have been better is if, having made a mistake, he then learned from it, not repeated it. And the problem here is that the same mistakes keep being repeated over and over again,” Mr Albanese said.