Revealed: The double-cross that helped Machiavellian Scott Morrison become the most powerful person in the country
- Explosive new book claimed Peter Dutton was pawn in 2018 leadership ballot
- The book claims Mr Dutton was used to expose Malcolm Turnbull’s vulnerability
- Scott Morrison is also said to have been in talks about challenge weeks ahead
- Matthias Cormann was described as another deciding factor in leader swap
An explosive new book has claimed that Peter Dutton was used as a political pawn to help Scott Morrison overthrow former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
‘Plots and Prayers: Malcolm Turnbull’s demise and Scott Morrison’s Ascension’ has lifted the curtain on the turbulent 2018 leadership challenge.
The book’s author claimed Mr Dutton was never meant to succeed in the initial bid for the role of prime minister.
Instead, he was deliberately used to expose Mr Turnbull’s vulnerability as a leader.
‘A number of key Morrison backers voted for Dutton in the first ballot, when Turnbull declared his position vacant, thereby inflating Dutton’s numbers as well as his ego,’ the book Plots and Prayers by Niki Savva claims.
An explosive new book has claimed that Peter Dutton was used as a political pawn to help Scott Morrison overthrow former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull
‘Plots and Prayers: Malcolm Turnbull’s demise and Scott Morrison’s Ascension’ has lifted the curtain on the turbulent 2018 leadership challenge
‘It was not because they wanted Dutton but because they no longer wanted Turnbull.
‘The trick was for enough of Morrison’s supporters to vote for Dutton so that Turnbull would be seen by everyone to be terminal.’
Thirty straight Newspoll losses had irreparably damaged Mr Turnbull’s position and emboldened a fractured coalition to unite behind Mr Morrison.
Mr Morrison has tried to downplay his active role in the leadership challenge and even called the period ‘ancient history’.
Although he has said he was oblivious to Mr Turnbull leaving his position, the book claims he was in talks with NDIS Minister Stuart Robert in the weeks leading up to the political coup.
‘If Dutton wins, we are in hell,’ Mr Robert is said to have told Morrison.
‘We told [Morrison] we were going to do it. We were not asking permission,’ Mr Robert said to Mr Savva.
The book also claims Liberal powerbroker and current Finance Minister Mathias Cormann acted as another nail in the coffin that put Mr Turnbull’s career to rest for good.
Thirty straight Newspoll losses had irreparably damaged Mr Turnbull’s role and emboldened a fractured coalition to unite behind Mr Morrison
‘[Turnbull] could not help but think he would still have been prime minister if Cormann had not betrayed him,’ Mr Savva claimed in the book.
‘Later still, as he reflected, he seemed to blame Cormann more than Dutton.’
The book claims Mr Turnbull trusted Mr Cormann’s loyalty and was taken by surprise after he resigned alongside fellow Cabinet ministers Mitch Fifield and Michaelia Cash.
Mr Cormann announced he had switched loyalty and threw his support behind Mr Dutton.
‘It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we went to see the PM yesterday afternoon to advise him that in our judgement, he no longer enjoyed the majority of support of Liberal members,’ he said at the time.
Although he has said he was oblivious to Mr Turnbull leaving his position, the book claims he was in talks with NDIS Minister Stuart Robert in the weeks leading up to the political coup