Tony Abbott says a few words about Malcolm.
Tony Abbott calls Malcolm Turnbull’s comments on his relationship with chief-of-staff Peta Credlin ‘odious’Former prime ministers Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull are again engaged in a bitter feud, this time over allegations Mr Abbott was “dominated” by his chief of staff.
Speaking about his tell-all book,
A Bigger Picture, on ABC’s 7.30 program last night, Mr Turnbull spoke about the power he believed Peta Credlin, now a Sky News host, had over her boss.
“You were really dealing with Peta and Peta was running the country and that was obvious, and dominating Abbott,” he said.
“So it was as though she felt, ‘I've created you, you're my creation’, and she felt she owned him. It was a bizarre – a truly bizarre – relationship.”
Mr Abbott lashed Mr Turnbull’s comments this morning, telling
Today Ms Credlin deserved “a great deal of credit”.
“I am aware of some pretty odious comments that one of my successors made last night,” Mr Abbott said.
“Anyone who's watched Peta Credlin on TV would know what an extraordinarily capable person she is. She was an important part of the Abbott Government. She was a fine thinker, a great organiser, and she was a trusted colleague. And I think that she deserves a great deal of credit.”
In his book Mr Turnbull writes extensively about how Mr Abbott’s office functioned with Credlin at the helm.
“I've never known a leader more dominated by another than Abbott by Credlin,” he writes.
“The relationship was completely asymmetric, he worshipped and feared her and she on the other hand treated him with disdain.”
https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/malcolm-turnbull-opens-up-on-former-pm-tony-abbotts-bizarre-relationship-with-chiefofstaff-peta-credlin/news-story/fd60fa0d83c4a53161e84dc53c258de8