Turnbull memoir springs the ultimate leak

A pirate copy of Malcolm Turnbull’s tell-all book has been released via emails and WhatsApp messages.

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On the eve of the publication of his tell-all book, Malcolm Turnbull was confronted with the ultimate leak: the release of a pirate copy via emails and WhatsApp messages.

The former prime minister has used the book to unleash on ex-friends and foes for undermining and leaking against him.

But on Sunday night his publisher, Hardie Grant Books, was threatening legal action against a staffer in Scott Morrison’s office over the unauthorised distribution of copies of the book in business and political circles.

The Prime Minister is a key target in the book, which says the Liberals did not deserve to win the last election and there were “trust’’ issues with Mr Morrison. The publishers moved after emailed copies of the book began circulating on Saturday night.

The Australian had already published details of A Bigger Picture on Thursday, and by Sunday, a full day ahead of the release of the book, it was available for sale in some shops — in the bargain bin. Dymocks was already discounting it at $39.99, down from the recommended price of $55.

The release of the book, which details Mr Turnbull’s role in the establishment of the left-wing Guardian website, has infuriated conservative Liberals who want to expel him from the party.

But on Sunday night, Nico Louw, an adviser to Mr Morrison, apologised to Hardie Grant Books after the publisher’s lawyer sent the staffer a cease-and-desist letter that accused him of illegally obtaining and distributing electronic versions of A Bigger Picture. “Louw has now made certain admissions and we are pursuing that and other sources,” said Hardie Grant chief executive Sandy Grant, after declaring he had ­obtained emails in which Mr Louw claimed to have sent the e-book to “millions”.

“What drew this to our attention was the distribution of the ­pirated edition from an address from within the PMO, sent to people who reported the illegal edition.”

A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office declined to comment on any legal proceedings.

“Staff have been reminded of their obligations under copyright law, and of the high standards of conduct expected of them,” a spokesman said.

Details of the controversial tell-all account of Mr Turnbull’s life and three years as the nation’s leader encouraged some of his old foes to move to try to expel him from the NSW division of the Liberal Party. Mr Turnbull wrote in his memoir that Mr Morrison did not deserve to win the election and accused the Prime Minister of double dealing during the Liberal leadership showdown in August 2018.

A discounted copy of Malcolm Turnbull’s new book

Mr Turnbull writes that colleagues of Mr Morrison, including senior ministers Mathias Cormann and Peter Dutton, had once described Mr Morrison as a “Machiavellian plotter”.

He heaps criticisms on Mr Dutton and Senator Cormann while releasing the contents of their personal correspondence with him.

NSW Morrison government MPs Craig Kelly and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells endorsed a push from party official Christian Ellis to bring on an expulsion vote at the division’s next state executive meeting.

Mr Ellis — a former Turnbull government adviser from the conservative bloc of the state executive — has asked for an extraordinary general meeting.

“Malcolm Turnbull has shown in the last few weeks how he is not a servant of the Liberal Party, but himself,” Mr Ellis wrote in an email sent to NSW Liberal officials on the weekend.

“I intend to move for the immediate expulsion of Malcolm Turnbull from the Liberal Party. On top of this, as he may no longer be a member, I will move for a lifetime ban to be imposed on him.”

However, senior Liberal Party sources said the rules of the party would need to be changed to give the state executive the power to expel the former prime minister. Party rules allow the party to suspend members for up to five years but there is not provision for a lifetime ban.

“With all this sabre-rattling, you would think they would have at least looked up the rules,” a NSW Liberal source said. Mr Kelly described the case in favour of the motion as a “lay down misere”. “To make snide remarks about a sitting prime minister is absolutely being disloyal to the Liberal Party,” he said.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells said: “The motion from Christian Ellis formalises the request to state executive to not only expel Turnbull, but ban him for life. I know many in the NSW Liberal Party will be supportive of this action.”

NSW Liberal Party president Philip Ruddock said the motion would “be dealt with appropriately at the appropriate time”.