The former Liberal prime minister John Howard has confirmed he advised Tony Abbott to remove Peta Credlin, his controversial chief of staff, before Abbott was dumped as leader by his party.
Howard told Sky News he counselled Abbott to consider sacking Credlin. “Look, I did give him advice on two personnel issues and that was one of them.”
A new book by the journalist Niki Savva released this week proposes Credlin was instrumental in Abbott’s downfall.
Howard, prime minister from 1996 to 2007, also confirmed he suggested Abbott install Malcolm Turnbull as treasurer over Joe Hockey.
Abbott was dumped as prime minister in September and replaced by Turnbull.
“I feel for Tony, because it was very humiliating and he had won an election,” Howard said. “But the people who have the authority to make the decision, made the decision and they clearly voted in a new leader. They are not going to review their decision.”
Howard said people needed to stop raking over old coals and focus on the main game of making sure the Coalition government was re-elected.
Credlin criticised the book this week. “When I was working long days in the prime minister’s office … did anyone in the real world care that I was a tough operator, that the prime minister expected results or wanted ministers under pressure to spend taxpayer dollars wisely and deliver on our election promises?” she wrote.
She said rumours that she had an affair with Abbott were “vicious and malicious”.
