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Tony Abbott has unleashed a public attack on his former deputy, Julie Bishop, to accuse her of telling falsehoods.
In a new outbreak of recriminations over the leadership coup, Mr Abbott has made a four-point repudiation of the Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy Liberal leader.
The former prime minister told Fairfax Media it was "false" that Ms Bishop had warned him of a phone call where Malcolm Turnbull was making plans for a post-Abbott government seven months before he challenged for the leadership.
The call was a clear sign that Mr Turnbull, then communications minister, was considering a leadership strike against Mr Abbott.
In the February 8 call, Mr Turnbull offered Scott Morrison the treasurer's post in a future Turnbull government, as disclosed by Fairfax Media's Shirtfronted series this week.
Ms Bishop was in the same room as Mr Turnbull at the time, a silent participant in the call. The three continued to serve in the Abbott cabinet for another seven months and six days.
When Ms Bishop was asked on Channel Nine on Tuesday whether she had told Mr Abbott about the call, she responded: "Of course, of course."
But Mr Abbott said: "The claim that Julie Bishop made on Channel Nine that she told me about the conversation between Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison that she witnessed is false."
On a second point, Mr Abbott said it was not true that Ms Bishop had urged him to appoint two more women to his first cabinet.
In part two of Fairfax's Shirtfronted, Ms Bishop is said to have suggested that Marise Payne and Sussan Ley be appointed to the cabinet, but met opposition from Mr Abbott's then chief of staff, Peta Credlin, during a leadership dinner at Canberra's Ottoman restaurant soon after winning power.
But Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media: "The suggestion that Julie Bishop lobbied me to get Marise Payne and Sussan Ley into cabinet in September 2013 is false. The suggestion that Peta Credlin opposed that is also false."
Mr Abbott also took issue with two more of Ms Bishop's comments on Channel Nine.
He challenged her remark that his cabinet had held firm during the first and unsuccessful leadership spill in February.
Ms Bishop had said: "The cabinet held absolutely firm and 39 people voted for the spill, even though there was no leadership contender," Ms Bishop said.
"Tony Abbott then said that he wanted six months to turn things around and when the next spill motion came, 54 members of the party voted for a new leader. That's how I saw the situation," she said.
"I certainly was not aware of white-anting, although I'm sure that the former prime minister has a number of concerns about what went on in those last six months of his time as prime minister."
Mr Abbott said: "Julie Bishop's claim that the cabinet was solidly behind me was rendered ridiculous by the leaking that so obviously took place."
Most conspicuous was Fairfax Media's coverage of a cabinet revolt over Mr Abbott's proposed changes to citizenship laws.
Ms Bishop said that Mr Abbott was mistaken to have said that he'd been "white-anted" from within.
She said the former prime minister was undone by his own performance as leader.
Mr Abbott rejected this too: "If that's true, why has the government not changed any of its key policies?"
Finally, Mr Abbott rejected the general proposition that he might have saved his prime ministership if he'd removed the controversial Ms Credlin and his treasurer, Joe Hockey.
"The idea that Malcolm Turnbull would have been content to remain a minister if only I'd sacked Credlin and Hockey is fatuous."
