Scott Morrison forced to clarify Malcolm Turnbull’s Bali role

Scott Morrison has clarified that Malcolm Turnbull was approved to discuss the Israeli embassy after a lashing from the ex-PM.

Malcolm Turnbull has lashed out at Scott Morrison over his Bali trip.

Scott Morrison has clarified that Malcolm Turnbull was briefed on, and approved to discuss, trade and the Israeli embassy with Indonesia’s president at the Bali oceans conference this week.

In a three-line statement issued this afternoon, the Prime Minister clarified comments earlier today on 2GB that his predecessor had gone beyond “his brief”, discussing other issues than oceans.

Mr Morrison said Mr Turnbull was instructed to discuss issues other than oceans if they were “raised in direct conversations”.

“I invited Mr Turnbull to represent me at the Oceans Conference in Bali hosted by Indonesia and to be head of delegation,” Mr Morrison told The Australian.

“As head of delegation, he was briefed on appropriate responses on other issues that could be raised in any direct discussions with the President, in his role as head of delegation.

“Accordingly there were briefings dealing with the issues he has referred to. The purpose of his attendance was the Oceans conference.”

Mr Morrison had earlier told 2GB: “He (Mr Turnbull) was there to attend an oceans conference. The issues of trade and other things were not really part of the brief.”

Mr Turnbull took to Twitter today to say Mr Morrison had asked him to discuss both trade and the embassy move with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

“A few facts. @ScottMorrisonMP asked me to discuss trade and the embassy issue in Bali and we had a call before I left to confirm his messages which I duly relayed to @jokowi,” he tweeted. “There was a detailed paper on the issue in my official brief as well.”

A few facts. @ScottMorrisonMP asked me to discuss trade and the embassy issue in Bali and we had a call before I left to confirm his messages which I duly relayed to @jokowi There was a detailed paper on the issue in my official brief as well.

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) November 1, 2018

Mr Turnbull later tweeted his challenge to Mr Morrison’s statements were a “a simple statement of fact” and not intended as an attack on his successor.

“So my previous tweet — a simple statement of fact has been described in the media as “lashing out” (the Oz) or as a “public rebuke” (SMH). Neither characterisation is reasonable, but is objective reporting unadorned by sensationalism a thing of the past?” he said.

So my previous tweet - a simple statement of fact has been described in the media as “lashing out” (the Oz) or as a “public rebuke” (SMH). Neither characterisation is reasonable, but is objective reporting unadorned by sensationalism a thing of the past?

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) November 1, 2018

The former prime minister used the conference to publicly warn Mr Morrison that moving Australia’s Israeli embassy to Jerusalem would hurt relations with Indonesia.

Speaking on 2GB earlier, Mr Morrison said Mr Turnbull would not represent him on future foreign missions after the former prime minister blasted his Israel policy.

When 2GB’s Alan Jones asked Mr Morrison this morning whether Mr Turnbull would be sent on more diplomatic missions, the Prime Minister replied: “No.”

He added: “I’m always going to act with respect to former prime ministers, regardless of who they are. I do think the exemplar of former prime ministers about how they go about things outside of politics is John Howard. And on the Labor side, it is Julia Gillard.”

Mr Morrison also said he knew Mr Turnbull had liked a tweet earlier this week that showed his Newspoll numbers had gone down.

“I’m aware of it but I just brush it off,” he said.

Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott at the unveiling of her official portrait at Parliament House. Picture: AAP.

Lowy Institute Indonesia expert Matthew Busch said: “it’s a complete furphy that (Malcolm Turnbull) was sent to Indonesia for any other reason than to smooth feathers and get to the bottom of how a Jerusalem decision might weigh on the trade and commercial relationship”.

Cory Bernardi, the leader of Australian Conservatives, told Sky that the spat between Mr Turnbull and Mr Morrison “demonstrates the folly of sending a former leader to represent Australia in international relations’’.

PM @ScottMorrisonMP confirms @TurnbullMalcolm won't have a future role in his govt after Bali summit.@corybernardi: It demonstrates the folly of sending a former leader to represent Australia in international relations.

MORE:https://t.co/IrIjuYizWI pic.twitter.com/YGIXcg64wW

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) November 1, 2018

Mr Turnbull will make his first media appearance since he was ousted by Liberal MPs on the ABC’s Q&A program next Thursday.

The former prime minister has been previously criticised for not doing more to save his federal seat of Wentworth at last month’s by-election. It was ultimately won by independent Kerryn Phelps after decades in Liberal hands.

Mr Turnbull has also used his Twitter account to call for Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who challenged him for the prime ministership, to be referred to the High Court over eligibility questions.