Prime Minister Scott Morrison says being the subject of "nasty" comments is a regular part of leading the country, as he attempts to shake off a second day of questions about a reported text exchange between his colleagues.
An alleged conversation between a "senior Liberal cabinet minister" and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian was relayed live on air by Channel Ten's political editor Peter Van Onselen yesterday.
Ms Berejiklian reportedly described the Prime Minister as a "horrible, horrible person", with the minister responding he was a "complete psycho".
The ABC has not seen or verified the text exchange.
Ms Berejiklian has not denied the conversation, but said yesterday she had no recollection of it.
Asked again about the messages today, Mr Morrison said he had not spoken to Ms Berejiklian, but they had a good relationship.
"It's always been very positive and I think we've worked very well together," Mr Morrison said.
"Of course people say nasty things about you as Prime Minister all the time.
"Just switch on your social media feed and you'll get yourself quite a giggle, I get one all the time, it comes with the job."
Mr Morrison repeated that he could not respond to the substance of "anonymous" messages.
He said he had "confidence" the reported Liberal minister was not in his cabinet.
Ministers deny texts came from them
Amid the questions over who, if anyone, in cabinet sent the texts, two ministers have denied they sent the messages or even knew about them before yesterday.
Foreign Affairs Minister and Minister for Women Marise Payne said the messages had "nothing to do with [her]" and it was "ludicrous to suggest otherwise".
"I have never had such an exchange with the former premier, nor have I ever used such language, and nor did I leak messages, if indeed they are genuine," she said.
Environment Minister Sussan Ley also said the messages were not sent by her.
"Any suggestion otherwise is insulting and completely untrue," she said.
"I have known the Prime Minister for 20 years and such a characterisation of his behaviour and attitudes is entirely alien to my understanding of the politician and the person."
Current NSW Premier derides reports as 'smear and gossip'
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese described the alleged exchange as "extraordinary text messages from the people who know Scott Morrison the best".
"These are people who observed him," Mr Albanese said.
But Ms Berejiklian's successor, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, was fiery in his defence of the Prime Minister as he called the story "smear and gossip".
"I've had my disagreements with the Prime Minister, I have disagreements with other premiers, Labor or Liberal. That is only natural in the course of a pandemic," Mr Perrottet said.
"I have always found the Prime Minister to be a thoroughly decent man.
"To have news now reported from unsubstantiated text messages I think is terrible. We should be asking the Prime Minister about policy."
The Prime Minister has previously described Ms Berejiklian as "a good friend".
At the end of last year, Mr Morrison publicly appealed for Ms Berejiklian to run in the federal seat of Warringah, the seat once held by former prime minister Tony Abbott but now held by independent Zali Steggall.
The former premier later stated she would not be running.
