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Scott Morrison Hits Out At 'Mate' Ray Hadley's Radio Stunt

Morrison Hits Out At 'Mate' Hadley's Stunt

Australia’s presumptive Treasurer hit out at his mate, shock jock Ray Hadley, who tried to get him to swear on a bible over his role in Tony Abbott’s dumping as Prime Minister.

An angry Scott Morrison told Hadley he would “not use his faith as a stunt” after the radio show host tried to get him to swear on the good book to deny he played a role in Monday's sacking.

Morrison pointed out there was no bible in the studio and was left with a copy of the 2009/2010 budget.

"We're mates, mate, and that does step over the line," Morrison said.

“I don’t see what my faith has got to do with it.

“Mate, you get to judge my policies but you don’t get to judge my faith mate.”

It appears you can judge the health of a friendship by how often you deploy "mate" in a conversation -- and in this case, more isn't better.

He said he had sworn oaths as a member of parliament and as a minister.

“I am not going to use my faith as a stunt for your program,” he said.

“I think it’s a very offensive thing for you to ask me to do.”

Hadley asked Morrison why he hadn’t reached out to Abbott, a supporter and friend.

“Were you embarrassed by the role you played in his demise?” Hadley asked.

“Absolutely not. I had no role in his demise. For the past five, six years I served Tony Abbott I served Tony Abbott as a shadow minister and a minister and I gave him everything I had,” Morrison replied.

Morrison supported Abbott in the spill motion, but colleagues considered to be part of his faction did not.

He denied exchanging messages on the self-destructing messaging app Wickr with numerous MPs and Turnbull, but said he told Abbott’s office on Friday, “things were pretty febrile and they should be on high alert.”

Morrison denied he was likely to be elevated to the treasury portfolio because of a deal with Turnbull, instead insisting if he were to be promoted, it would be on merit.

He said the only person who had offered him the job of treasurer was Abbott on Monday.

"He offered me the job of treasurer hours out from that ballot. He'd never done that before," Morrison said.

"I can't understand, Ray, why I was being offered that job when he had showed such strong support of Joe Hockey.

"He was asking me to throw Joe Hockey under a bus."

After the interview, Morrison reportedly suggested he might be too busy for his regular Monday appearance on Hadley's program.

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