WHAT THEY SAID ...

“You don’t go into a ballot believing you’re going to lose and if I believe that a majority of colleagues support me, then I would consider my position. I’m speaking to colleagues. I’m not going to beat around the bush.”

LIBERAL LEADER CANDIDATE PETER DUTTON

“We know that disunity undermines the ability of any government to get its job done. We’ve got to put 25 million Australians first. They hate it when we are talking about each other.”

PRIME MINISTER MALCOLM TURNBULL

“I believe that the Prime Minister has been endorsed by a majority of the party room ... and understand that a number of people who didn’t vote for him have now said they will back him.”

FOREIGN MINISTER JULIE BISHOP

“Now that the genie is out of the bottle, I’m not sure we can put it back.”

LIBERAL MP CRAIG KELLY

“I have concerns about the party ... we always spoke about the broad church and the importance of balance, this is a concern.”

FORMER INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI-WELLS

“I think there was a shift after the party room meeting with the offers of resignation by a considerable number of ministers.”

TASMANIAN LIBERAL SENATOR ERIC ABETZ

“It’s no secret that I’m no big fan of the incumbent, and when he declared the position open yesterday I voted for Peter Dutton, because Peter Dutton has been an outstanding minister, and I’m confident that he could be a very good prime minister.

FORMER PRIME MINISTER TONY ABBOTT

“I put to rest any suggestion that I have made any approach, that an approach has been made.”

SCOTT MORRISON, DOWNPLAYING REPORTS THAT HE WOULD MAKE HIS OWN PLAY FOR THE LIBERAL LEADERSHIP

“That would be a budget blower, an absolute budget blower.”

SCOTT MORRISON ON DUTTON’S PLANS TO REMOVE GST FROM POWER BILLS