Tony Abbott 'slapped Peta Credlin on the bum': Book fuels rumours of alleged affair
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott allegedly slapped his Chief of Staff on the bum, without realising an MP had witnessed it.
Political commentator Niki Savva’s new book The Road to Ruin has detailed the bizarre relationship between Mr Abbott and Peta Credlin, including their rumoured affair.
Credlin and Abbott have denied any romantic involvement.
“Rightly or wrongly, the perception is that you are sleeping with your Chief of Staff. That's the perception, and you need to deal with it,” Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells reportedly warned Abbott.
The book claimed Abbott responded to the claim calmly and denied the rumours.
Ms Savva claimed in the book the confrontation ‘took a fair bit of courage’.
“It wasn't just those rumours, it was everything else to do with their behaviour,” she said.
“Their behaviour, the way they ran the office, the way they ran the government, ultimately led to their downfall.
“Whatever she (Ms Credlin) thought should happen, she could get him to do and he was completely bound to her.”
The Herald Sun reported a number of former staff were concerned after Abbott’s wife Margie was removed from a guest list for an election party under Credlin’s instructions.
“People in the inner circle reported that it was rare or exceptional for Credlin and Margie to be in the same room or at the same event together”.
The book slammed Abbott’s acceptance of Credlin’s ‘disrespectful’ treatment of his wife.
The book also claimed Credlin and Abbott had matching campaign luggage.
It revealed he also requested one of his colleagues apologise to Credlin when he asked her to refrain from swearing at junior members of the party.
Mr Abbott was allegedly warned multiple times that he would lose the prime ministership if he didn’t dump Credlin, according to the book.
When asked about the alleged affair and other claims by reporters, Abbott refused to comment.
