A high-ranking Liberal cabinet minister allegedly leaked their own text messages in which they described Scott Morrison as a “fraud” and “psycho”.
Despite the Prime Minister being adamant the minister supposedly behind the leak is not a member of his own cabinet, the journalist who revealed the texts says otherwise.
Mr Morrison was questioned by Network 10 political editor Peter van Onselen at the National Press Club about text messages reportedly between former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed senior federal Liberal minister.
Ms Berejiklian allegedly described Mr Morrison as a “horrible, horrible person”, while the minister was more scathing, calling the Prime Minister a “fraud” and “complete psycho”.
Van Onselen told ABC Melbourne on Wednesday morning that the unnamed minister in question had been the one who sent him the conversations.
“The minister is the source. I didn’t get these from a third party. The minister sent me the text messages and I’ve got the screenshots,” van Onselen said.
“I’ve got all the detail that go beyond just having the screenshots to make sure that this minister isn’t even making it up … but as a consequence, the deal done is that I wouldn’t out the minister.
“A current minister … (that is) the only thing that I clarify. I didn’t want people to think it was a former minister.”
When Mr Morrison was asked about the texts at a press conference on Wednesday, he said he “had confidence” that the minister in question was not one from his cabinet.
In addition, he confirmed no one had come forward to claim responsibility for the leaks, and nor would he be asking his office to investigate.
Van Onselen said the text messages date back to the Black Summer bushfires and he “didn’t have the conversation” with the unnamed minister as to why they chose to leak the messages now.
“There was a frustration and anger about aspects of Scott Morrison’s performance and that dates back to the text messages,” van Onselen said.
“Some of them being right around the time of the bushfires, with Gladys Berejiklian expressing her frustration with the way the Prime Minister was acting.
“This is deep seated, would be the way to put it … it goes right back to those bushfires.
“(But) I spoke to the minister yesterday. It would be fair to say that they still feel the same way.”
Earlier, Mr Morrison said “no one cares” if his feelings were hurt in the wake of alleged explosive text messages revealed on Monday.
Mr Morrison responded to van Onselen by saying he didn’t know “who you’re referring to or the basis of what you’ve put to me”.
“But I obviously don’t agree with it, and I don’t think that is my record,” he said.
Appearing on morning television on Tuesday, Mr Morrison said he and Ms Berejiklian had “always” had positive dealings with each other.
But when asked if it had hurt, Mr Morrison said it “doesn’t matter”.
“People say nasty things about you as prime minister all the time. It goes with the job, but the job isn’t about what people say here and there,” he told Sunrise on Wednesday.
Network 10 on Monday revealed messages in which Ms Berejiklian allegedly accused the Prime Minister of being obsessed with “petty political point scoring” during the Black Summer bushfires.
“Lives are at stake today and he is just obsessed with petty political point scoring,” the message reportedly said.
Ms Berejiklian also reportedly wrote she was “so disappointed and gutted” that Mr Morrison was on holiday in Hawaii as the deadly disaster unfolded.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said he was particularly “devastated” to hear that message was reportedly from Ms Berejiklian.
“(That statement), I think, is devastating. I think that alone is enough to disqualify him from being someone who secures a second decade in office,” he said.
“Australians deserve better than that.”
Mr Albanese said he did not know the identity of the cabinet minister, but if people “who are Liberal cabinet ministers think that, Australians will make their own judgment”.
In another message, Ms Berejiklian told the minister that Mr Morrison had been “actively spreading lies” about her, to which the unnamed minister responded “desperate and jealous”.
Ms Berejiklian released a statement on Tuesday, saying she had “no recollection” of the messages.
“Let me reiterate my very strong support for Prime Minister Morrison and all he is doing for our nation during these very challenging times,” she said.
“I also strongly believe he is the best person to lead our nation for years to come.”
Mr Morrison said he appreciated what Ms Berejiklian had said.
“I think we’ve worked very well together as a premier and a prime minister to do very great things for NSW … particularly through the pandemic,” he said.
“We work very closely, so I can’t speak to the other things that are all anonymous, and as Gladys says, she doesn’t recollect it.
“It’s certainly not a conversation her and I have ever had.”
