Concetta Fierravanti-Wells spills the beans but backed by Abbott

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has used a reference from Tony Abbott in the week it emerged she made damning comments about him.

NSW Liberal conservative senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has used a reference from Tony Abbott to back her preselection for the next election in the week it was revealed she provided damning comments about her former leader for a contentious book.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells, now Malcolm Turnbull’s Minister for International Development, revealed to author Niki Savva that she had raised a “whispering campaign” with Mr Abbott when she confronted him about the Coalition’s performance in February last year.

“Politics is about perceptions,’’ Senator Fierravanti-Wells told Mr Abbott. “Rightly or wrongly, the perception is that you are sleeping with your chief of staff. That’s the perception, and you need to deal with it.’’

He was told if he did not move Peta Credlin he would lose his prime ministership. The account of the exchange was revealed in Savva’s book The Road to Ruin.

Mr Abbott told Senator Fierravanti-Wells he was not going to sack Ms Credlin. “He said the rumours they were having an affair were not true,’’ wrote Savva, a columnist with The Australian.

Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin have denied the rumours and described parts of the book as salacious rumours not put to them for denial or correction. This week Senator Fierravanti-Wells sent documents supporting her Senate preselection to NSW Liberal Party headquarters, including written references from Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull. Mr Abbott’s reference said: “I’ve disagreed with Connie but she has never let that shake her convictions or taint her loyalty to the elected leader and the team.”