“Vindictive and selfish”: Peter Dutton's harsh words for Malcolm Turnbull
<p>In a new TV documentary series which premieres on Sky News tonight, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton did not hold back when talking about former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.</p>
<p>The series called <em><a rel="noopener" href="http://badblood.skynews.com.au/" target="_blank">Bad Blood/ New Blood</a> </em>showcases the rise of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.</p>
<p>Dutton claims that Turnbull’s resignation was “vindictive and selfish”.</p>
<p>“He chose to leave in a way that John Howard never would,” Dutton said to <a rel="noopener" href="https://thewest.com.au/politics/federal-politics/peter-dutton-spills-beans-on-former-pm-malcolm-turnbull-ng-b881240191z" target="_blank"><em>The West</em></a>.</p>
<p>“In a way that Kevin Rudd didn’t, in a way Julia Gillard didn’t and it was done simply out of spite.”</p>
<p>The two part documentary series exposes the details of “spill week” and beyond to David Speers. Part one of the documentary looks at what happened to Turnbull.</p>
<p>The documentary reveals how the leadership spill started, which due to a heated argument between Turnbull ally Craig Laundy and Queensland MP Luke Howarth.</p>
<p>“When I got there Craig said something like, ‘You’re not supporting this madness, are you’ and then we just had a frank discussion,” Howarth said.</p>
<p>“It was pretty straightforward and honest. What I was going to suggest to Malcolm is that actually he resign so we didn’t need a ballot and we didn’t need any division.”</p>
<p>Laundy backs up this claim by explaining his side.</p>
<p>“We lost our temper,” he said. “It was a tense exchange.”</p>
<p>After the exchange, Laundy reached out to Turnbull to warn him about the potential move against him.</p>
<p>“Malcolm said to me very clearly I would rather live on my feet than die on my knees,” Laundy said.</p>
<p>A snap leadership spill was called the very next morning.</p>
<p>The toxic relationship between former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull is also explored throughout the series.</p>
<p>Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said that “it was pathological”.</p>
<p>“If you put them both in the room, there wouldn’t have been a metaphorical fight, it would have been a literal fight.”</p>
<p><em>Bad Blood/New Blood</em> airs at 6 pm tonight on Sky News.</p>
