The New South Wales transport minister, David Elliott, has accused his Liberal colleague Matt Kean of “treachery” during the federal election, after the treasurer was accused of telling a journalist to grill Scott Morrison over the controversial preselection of the anti-trans activist Katherine Deves.
Elliott on Monday told Sydney radio station 2GB he was “disgusted” with Kean over a report in the Australian that suggested the treasurer had asked a journalist to push both Morrison and the NSW roads minister Natalie Ward on comments made by Deves in the lead-up to the May poll.
“Matt Kean’s behaviour is nothing short of treachery and will be repaid in kind,” the transport minister said.
Elliott, who has criticised other members of his own government, said it was “the sort of thing I have come to expect from a certain former Liberal PM”, an apparent reference to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The report in the Australian also said that a source close to Morrison had raised the issue with Kean “who strongly denied the allegation and claimed he was doing everything in his power to help Morrison’s re-election”.
Kean had been a vocal critic of the decision to preselect Deves and, according to the report, had sent messages to a press gallery journalist travelling with Morrison during the campaign on the night after the Warringah candidate backtracked on an apology for comments stating trans children were being “surgically mutilated”.
The messages, which the Guardian understands were sent after the conclusion of the press conference, reportedly show Kean suggesting the reporter ask Ward about the furore.
“You should pap her,” Kean reportedly wrote, referring to paparazzi-style photographs.
On Monday Kean described the messages as “light-hearted banter”, and said that Elliott had not contacted him about the story.
“I didn’t ask other reporters to ask anything of anyone,” he said.
“David Elliot’s got my phone number. I haven’t spoken to him about that.”
Kean had publicly rebuked the party over its decision to preselect Deves, whose candidacy became a major touchpoint during the campaign over a series of comments she had made on social media.
Deves spent much of the campaign dodging the media, but after initially apologising for some of her comments she appeared to walk those apologies back later in the campaign.
