Former Liberal member for Wentworth Dave Sharma says Scott Morrison was a drag on his vote, but that he was not part of a group of moderates that urged former treasurer Josh Frydenberg to challenge the prime minister for the leadership.
Mr Sharma lost his seat in Sydney's eastern suburbs to teal independent Allegra Spender, who ran on a platform pushing stronger action on climate change and integrity.
Speaking in the wake of Saturday's election result and losing his own seat, Mr Sharma said when he spoke to voters they expressed a deep dislike of the former prime minister.
"It was almost visceral their reaction, they would say that he is too religious, didn't like he carried coal into parliament, they didn't believe his sincerity on climate change and didn't like our handling of Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame," he said.
The former MP was asked if the pre-selection of controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves for the nearby electorate of Warringah was also raised as an issue by voters.
"Not specifically," Mr Sharma replied.
"I think there was certainly a feeling that that religious discrimination legislation was a bridge too far and people could not see why was the business of parliament being derailed by this particular piece of legislation."
The government lost a major vote on its religious discrimination bill in the last sitting of parliament earlier this year, after a marathon all-night sitting.
It saw five Liberal MPs, including Mr Sharma, cross the floor and vote with Labor and the crossbench to extend protections to transgender school students.
Moderates pushed for Frydenberg to lead
Mr Sharma was also asked how long the discontent toward Mr Morrison was evident at least within his own electorate.
"I think it's been around since at least the third quarter of last year or even midway through last year," he said.
He was also asked if he was one of a group of moderates who, as first reported by the Nine Newspapers, approached Mr Frydenberg and urged him to challenge Mr Morrison for the leadership in September last year.
Mr Frydenberg refused and declared his loyalty to the prime minister.
Despite acknowledging Mr Morrison's popularity decline with voters in Wentworth, he said he was not part of the group that approached the former treasurer.
"I think my own view at the time … we and the Labor party had changed leaders often enough mid-term to know that this didn't usually end well so my view was, and remains, that we should stick with the leader we've got and take them to the election," he said.
"If an electorate pronounces a verdict so be it."
Mr Sharma, as well as senior Liberal MPs including home affairs minister Karen Andrews, say Peter Dutton will be the next Liberal Party leader as no-one else has put up their hand for the job.
Former environment minister Sussan Ley is set to become the deputy.
