He was responding to the publication of The Road to Ruin, How Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin destroyed their own government, by journalist and former Liberal staffer Niki Savva.
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The colourful billionaire MP claimed the reason behind Tony Abbott’s paid parental leave scheme was so Credlin “can get a massive benefit when she’s pregnant” in June 2014.
“Although Savva’s husband works for Turnbull, I don’t believe this attack would have the Prime Minister’s support”, she said in a op-ed in The Australian. “That’s clearly evidenced by her refusal to speak with me or Tony Abbott”, she said.
But when Ms Credlin “wept” at the staff meeting on July 17, many in the crowd were apparently “seething” at her for different reasons, Ms Savva wrote.
Peta Credlin has hit back at the explosive new book by Nikki Savva.
Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells confirmed she confronted both Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin about rumours circulating among colleagues that he was “sleeping with her”. “Who cares…it should be about her professionalism”. The book also says Ms Credlin sidelined Mr Abbott’s wife Margie and vetted her invitations.
“Her book Road to Ruin is billed as “explaining” why the man elected by the Australian people as their prime minister was removed from office”.
‘Yet we all know that’s a farce.
“I earned my good reputation by working hard for four cabinet ministers, three opposition leaders and one prime minister so I am not going to let these sneering cowards define me”.
“I accept that much of this post-leadership critique is politically motivated and driven by warring Liberal Party camps. The book is an attempt to justify the coup”.
Rumors of the affair surfaced last week after excerpts of the book were published by media outlets, something which prompted Abbott to release a statement labeling the allegations as “scurrilous gossip”, while he also defended Credlin as his choice of chief of staff. His prime ministership lasted less two years.
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Savva suggests in her book that part of the distrust for Credlin’s influence came from the seedy insinuations that she and Abbott were having an affair.
