The Prime Minister has dismissed a scathing character assessment from one of his own senators, arguing a disgruntled Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is simply "disappointed" her time in federal parliament might be coming to an end.
The veteran Liberal took to her feet in the Senate after 9pm on budget night to pour scorn on Scott Morrison, accusing him of having no conscience.
"His actions conflict with his portrayal as a man of faith," Senator Fierravanti-Wells told the upper house.
"He has used his so-called faith as a marketing advantage.
"In my public life I have met ruthless people. Morrison tops the list.
"Morrison is not fit to be Prime Minister."
Senator Fierravanti-Wells lost a preselection battle within the New South Wales Liberal Party over the weekend, seeing her bumped down the party's Senate ticket to what is widely considered an unwinnable position.
"I know Connie is disappointed, having lost the preselection of some 500 members on the weekend," the Prime Minister said this morning on the ABC's AM program.
"Six years ago I strongly supported her and ensured that she was able to be re-selected. She was very happy at that time.
On Wednesday afternoon independent Senator Pauline Hanson said she "backed up" Senator Fierravanti-Wells's accusations.
"He is a bully because I have experienced it myself," she said.
"He's a man, so you do it my way or no way."
Morrison 'has ruined the Liberal Party', senator says
Senator Fierravanti-Wells accused the Prime Minister and his factional ally, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, of "having ruined the Liberal Party in New South Wales by trampling its constitution".
The basis for her criticism was the delay in key preselection battles, which led to a court battle and the federal executive of the Liberal Party intervening in the process.
"[Mr Morrison] and his consigliore, Alex Hawke, have deliberately contrived a crisis in New South Wales through a year of delays in not having selections," Senator Fierravanti-Wells told the Senate.
"Hawke, as his representative on state executive for months and months, failed to attend nomination review committee meetings to review candidates, thereby holding up preselections.
"Spurious arguments were mounted to justify the unjustifiable. The constitution was trashed.
Mr Morrison said there were avenues for the senator to pursue her allegations.
"If she has very strong concerns about this and has complaints to make, our party has a process for dealing with those complaints," he said.
"I'd encourage her to make those complaints directly to the federal president and state president in New South Wales so they can be properly looked at."
Senator Fierravanti-Wells's speech also harked back to the Prime Minister's own preselection battle in the Sydney seat of Cook back in 2006.
She accused then-aspiring politician Mr Morrison of pulling together a dossier against another candidate for preselection, Michael Towke, a Lebanese Australian engineer, to destroy his reputation.
"I am advised that there are several statutory declarations to attest to racial comments made by Morrison at the time that we can't have a Lebanese person in Cook," Senator Fierravanti-Wells told parliament.
But Mr Morrison told Sydney radio station 2GB: "That's rubbish."
"It's not true," he said.
Mr Morrison rejected claims he used his faith as a marketing advantage, telling radio station 4BC that his religion was between "me and God".
Fierravanti-Wells wanted Dutton as PM
Senator Fierravanti-Wells has been in federal parliament since 2005, and served as minister for international development and the Pacific under prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
She quit Mr Turnbull's front bench as moves were afoot to oust him as leader, accusing him of ignoring the Coalition's conservative base.
The New South Wales senator wanted the party to install Peter Dutton as prime minister.
Senator Fierravanti-Wells's remarks came just days after Mr Morrison seized upon ructions within the Labor Party in the wake of the sudden death of senator Kimberley Kitching.
Senator Kitching had claimed she was bullied and ostracised by the opposition's Senate leadership team of Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher – an allegation the three women denied.
Mr Morrison accused Labor leader Anthony Albanese of being "gutless" by refusing to launch an investigation into the allegations, saying he allowed a toxic culture to fester in his party.
This morning, Mr Albanese said Senator Fierravanti-Wells's comments could not be ignored.
"It's extraordinary that a sitting, serving senator, who's been a former minister, who has served alongside in the ministry with Scott Morrison, says that he is unfit to be Prime Minister," Mr Albanese said.
"I think those comments do say a lot, and the Prime Minister, who has been quick to talk about the need for reviews and the need for inquiries, I await his response."
Mr Morrison has been forced to defend himself from a number of questions about his character, including the revelation now Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce labelled him a "liar" while on the backbench in 2021.
He also dismissed reports of an alleged conversation between former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and a federal Cabinet minister, where he was called a "horrible, horrible person" and a "complete psycho".
