PM’s dig at journalist over explosive text leak

And he has added a not-so-subtle dig at the reporter who did it.

Network 10 political editor Peter van Onselen confronted Mr Morrison on Tuesday with the texts between an unnamed minister and former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, where he said the minister described the Prime Minister as a “fraud” and “a complete psycho”.

Van Onselen read the texts aloud during the nationally televised speech.

“In one she (Berejiklian) describes you as, ‘a horrible, horrible person,’ going on to say she did not trust you and you’re more concerned with politics than people,” van Onselen said.

In a statement, Ms Berejiklian said she had “no recollection” of the messages.

Speaking on Today on Wednesday morning, Mr Morrison said he doesn’t accept things put to him anonymously on face value.

“There was no context to it or any real details behind it. It was clearly done for sensationalist purposes,” Mr Morrison said.

On radio, van Onselen said he didn’t name the minister because the minister was in fact the source and that was the “deal done”.

As for why he brought up the text exchange, which involved “old messages”, on Tuesday, van Onselen said he used the National Press Club deliberately so he was not disrupted or dismissed.

While on breakfast TV, Mr Morrison went on to say “the journalist who raised it is facing his own questions”.

It appeared the Prime Minister was referring to van Onselen being named in court documents in a case between political reporter Tegan George and the journalists’ employer Network 10 this week.

According to a statement of claim, seen by The Guardian, van Onselen undermined and humiliated George, including by backgrounding other journalists against her.

When asked by ABC radio host Virginia Trioli whether he was involved in alleged bullying, sexism, undermining and belittling, van Onselen said “absolutely not”.

Originally published as Scott Morrison’s dig at journalist who revealed scathing text messages