Malcolm Turnbull refuses to deny mocking Scott Morrison

Malcolm Turnbull has refused five times to deny he told NSW Liberals that Scott Morrison was trying to “keep his arse’’ in the prime ministerial car.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: AAP

Malcolm Turnbull has refused five times to deny he mocked Scott Morrison to NSW Liberals by saying that the PM was trying to “keep his arse on C1” for as long as possible.

The Australian revealed today that Mr Turnbull contacted state executive members urging them to defy Mr Morrison by voting against a plan to prevent conservative MP Craig Kelly losing preselection — and possibly retaliate by defecting to the crossbench — saying the Prime Minister just wanted to retain the prime ministership.

The brazen power play was calculated to trigger an early federal election, with Mr Turnbull claiming such a move would help the Berejiklian government avoid facing an anti-Coalition backlash and losing office in March.

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This morning, Mr Turnbull refused to confirm he told members of the NSW Liberal state executive that Mr Morrison was delaying an election to “keep his arse on C1 (the Prime Minister’s official car)” as reported by The Australian, but he restated his view that the government should go to the polls soon.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: AAP

During an interview on Radio National, Fran Kelly asked Mr Turnbull: “And what they shared with the media is that you’re quoted as saying that Scott Morrison is quote, ‘just trying to keep his arse on C-1’, that’s the Commonwealth car. In other words, you believe Scott Morrison’s intervened just to try and save himself but isn’t he trying to save the Government? Isn’t that what Prime Ministers are supposed to do?”

Mr Turnbull responded: “Well Prime Ministers obviously try to keep the Government together but the fact of the matter is that if Mr Kelly were to — assuming he had made that threat which we don’t know for sure. Assuming he had made it … Giving in to threats of this kind is really, I mean it is the antithesis of good government giving into threats of that kind.”

Fran Kelly again asked Mr Turnbull if he had made the comment about Mr Morrison trying to save his job. “So let me just check, is that quote that I read out then, is that accurate? Is that what you said? That this is Scott Morrison trying to save his own backside? Is that what you think?,” she asked.

“Well look the discussion — No. I’m not going to go into that, Fran …” Mr Turnbull replied. Fran Kelly tried again: “But how are you as a former prime minister helping with that brand damage by ringing around lobbying MPs and others and making these accusations against the Prime Minister, accusing him of just trying to save his …”

“I’m not making any — hey Fran, I’ve not made any accusations against the prime minister,” Mr Turnbull said.

“Didn’t you say he was just trying to keep ‘his arse on C-1’?” Fran Kelly said.

“The, the — I’m not going to go into that but he is, Matt Kean can, if he wants to, you know report versions of private conversations, he can but plainly, the Prime Minister’s determination is to stay in government for as long as he possibly can. He is entitled to, look,” Mr Turnbull said.

“Do you criticise him for that?,” Fran Kelly finally asked.

“Well my view, again, I’m a you know, retired member of parliament and just a member of the Liberal Party, but since everyone else feels free to express their political commentary, I shall do so,” Mr Turnbull answered.

Mr Turnbull also used the extraordinary interview to criticise NSW minister Matt Kean, who spoke out on the former prime minister’s attempt to get involved in the preselection battle of Mr Kelly.

“I spoke to several members of the state executive yesterday as I was entitled to do,” Mr Turnbull said.

“I’m very disappointed that at least one of them, Mr Matt Kean, chose to share a colourful version of that discussion, and not entirely accurate description, but a description of idea with the media. Why he chose to do that is completely beyond me.”

At a media interview outside his Point Piper home later, Mr Turnbull said Mr Morrison knows he’s “given him every support and plenty of good and useful advice”.

Mr Turnbull labelled Mr Kelly’s threat to sit on the crossbench “blackmail” and again refused to deny conversations he had with Liberal colleagues yesterday — including that Mr Morrison just wanted to “keep his arse” in his prime ministerial car for as long as possible.

It would be “better”, he said, for the federal government to go to an election before the NSW state election on March 23.

“I’m very concerned, as many members in the NSW Liberal Party are, that the brand damage to the party which arose from the leadership change in August when I was removed as prime minister, and that has had considerable damage to the Liberal Party’s brand as a result of that,” Mr Turnbull said.

“We’ve seen that taken out in the state by-election in Wagga Wagga, we’ve seen it obviously in Wentworth and we’ve seen it in the Victorian state election. I am very concerned that this will put at risk the Berejiklian government.”

“I’m disappointed my discussions with members of the state executive last night found their way into the media but, having done that, it’s important rather than having those discussions being presented in an inaccurate or incomplete manner, it’s important I state what my position is which I think is appropriate.

“As Scott Morrison knows I’ve given him every support and plenty of good and useful advice, which he’s acknowledged.”

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks to the media as he leaves his residence in Point Piper. Picture: AAP

Mr Turnbull called on Mr Morrison to go to an election “as early as possible” in order to save Gladys Berejiklian and the NSW Liberal Party.

“My view is that it would be manifestly in the best interests and prospects of the Morrison government to go to the polls as soon as it can after the summer break,” he told ABC Radio.

“In fact my intention, and Scott’s intention, prior to my removal, was to go to the polls on the March 2.

“There’s a lot of concern in NSW Liberal circles that a very good, outstanding government led by Gladys Berejiklian is going to have its prospects of success diminished because of the brand damage to the Liberal Party caused by the leadership change in August.”

Mr Morrison announced last week that the federal budget will be handed down on April 2 and that the budget will be before the election.

Mr Turnbull also said that he would continue to make his views known on politics and that he was not to blame for Mr Morrison’s “electoral woes.”

“I am an Australian citizen, I’m a member of the Liberal Party, I am entitled to express my views,” he said.

“I spoke to several members of state executive yesterday, as I was entitled to do.

“If you get to the point where you’re saying to me that I should never discuss political matters with anybody because they could be leaked to the media, that’s a ridiculous proposition.”

Mr Turnbull said he does not believe Mr Kelly would threaten to defect to the crossbench, but wants his preselection opened up anyway.

“What is being put to me by some members of the state executive is Mr Kelly is threatening to go to the crossbench and ‘bring down the government’,” he told ABC Radio.

“I’m not aware that Mr Kelly has made that threat. I don’t believe that he would do that. I don’t believe that he would either go to the crossbench, or bring down the government.

“But assuming he has made that threat, that is the worst and the weakest reason not to have a preselection.”

Mr Turnbull saved Mr Kelly’s preselection before the 2016 election. He told ABC Radio that there were different circumstances.

Mr Turnbull denied he convinced crossbench MP Julia Banks to defect from the Liberal Party.

There was speculation last week that the former prime minister had played a hand in his old parliamentary ally’s decision to become an independent.

When asked if he encouraged Ms Banks to make the move, he said: “No.”

“I know there are some people who think women can’t make their own decisions,” he said.

“She is a formidable, experienced strong woman.

“Whether one regrets it or not, it is one that she’s made and it’s one I think she made very powerfully in the parliament.”