Peter Dutton will not rule out taking authorized motion in opposition to Bob Carr with the previous NSW Premier refusing to take down a tweet that claims the Defence Minister was behind a leaked textual content message criticising the PM.
Mr Carr alleged Mr Dutton was the minister who shared the textual content in an trade with former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the place Prime Minister Scott Morrison was known as a "full psycho" and a "horrible, horrible particular person".
Ms Berejiklian says she has no recollection of such an trade.
Talking to At this time, Mr Dutton insisted it was not him who leaked the texts in regards to the prime minister that savaged his character.
"Was it you?" requested At this time host Karl Stefanovic.
"It was not me," Mr Dutton replied.
"I imply, each household's acquired this loopy uncle that wakes up from the rocking chair and kind of in a startled approach shouts out one thing and I simply do not know what's going on with Bob Carr.
"He is a weird man. He hasn't produced any proof. He is now saying if it isn't me, then the particular person wants to return ahead to show my innocence. I simply discover it weird."
Mr Dutton mentioned Mr Carr reminded him of previous uncle Arthur from the Comedy Firm, a well-liked 1980's Aussie comedy TV sequence.
"So that you keep in mind the Comedy Firm - previous uncle Arthur, that's Bob Carr," he informed At this time.
"Uncle Bob is working round in some kind of deluded state. He is making these strategies. So I would not give him any credit score. That is my sense."
Mr Dutton mentioned he wouldn't rule out authorized motion in opposition to Mr Carr over the textual content claims, however the onus was on him to take the submit down.
"He hasn't but taken the submit down," he mentioned.
"That is a call he is making after which I'll decide after that.
"He is made a declare which is clearly defamatory and he now wants to supply the proof which he cannot after all as a result of I by no means despatched that textual content and it is a farce."
Mr Dutton believed Mr Carr had "discredited himself" by making the rogue declare.
"You may't simply make a declare after which again away from it," he mentioned.
"However that is what he is performed. I feel it is embarrassing for him and I feel most journalists frankly have handled him as a little bit of a joke."
Mr Carr posted the declare on Twitter late on Sunday evening, saying the prospect of a management change pre-election was "actual".
Nonetheless, the subsequent day Mr Carr pedalled again on his declare, posting that the one approach for Mr Dutton to "win his case" was to get one other colleague to confess they have been the supply.
"If not you, Mr Dutton, which of your colleagues? Till then who has most to achieve from undermining additional a flailing PM?"
Stefanovic requested if Mr Dutton would problem for management, as "that was what he was "attempting to smoke you out for".
However Mr Dutton shut down these strategies.
"No, no Karl," he mentioned.