She continued: "It is ludicrous to suggest that I would have sought an alternative job when I am robustly refusing to resign. I have always intended to complete my full term as president of the Australian Human Rights Commission". Attorney-General Senator George Brandis and Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs during a Senate hearing in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Professor Triggs was responding to a story on the front page of The Australian on Friday that claimed she had discussed her future over Christmas with "trusted colleagues", and was thinking of standing aside if her reputation was not damaged in the process and she could find other employment. The story alleged these soundings had been relayed via "back-channels" to Attorney-General George Brandis, who had sent a positive response back via the same route. But Professor Triggs said on Friday she had "never used any 'back channels' to seek an alternative appointment".

Her strongly worded statement appears to challenge testimony Senator Brandis gave to a tense Senate estimates committee hearing on Tuesday. Senator Brandis told the committee that he had heard in January from "two entirely different sources" that Professor Triggs was "considering her position". One of those sources, he said, was his departmental head, Chris Moraitis. Secondly, Senator Brandis added: "I was informed on condition of anonymity, by numerous sources within the Human Rights Commission that that was so, and that Professor Triggs was taking counsel from individuals about her position and about what she should do. In particular, I was told that she was concerned and had raised concerns with an individual about the reputational damage she may suffer if she resigned or stood aside as president of the commission." Speaking from New Zealand on Friday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop appeared to join Senator Brandis in pointing the finger at Professor Triggs.

"She [Professor Triggs] was not asked to resign, she was not offered a job, she was not offered any inducement, a role was discussed and as I pointed out, it depends who raised the role, and if people in the press gallery are so lacking in curiosity that they can't get a hint and follow it up, they really do disappoint me," she said. The row over who said what to whom has taken on added significance with the affair now feeding into speculation about the future of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's leadership. Mr Abbott and Senator Brandis have said they have lost confidence in Professor Triggs as head of the commission because of the recently released report into children in detention. The government said this inquiry was a "'stitch-up" because it was conducted after the Coalition took office, whereas child detainees reached far higher numbers under Labor. A day later, Malcolm Turnbull directly contradicted Mr Abbott's critique, heaping praise on the embattled professor. Professor Triggs told the Senate committee on Tuesday that she had been asked to resign by Mr Moraitis in a meeting in Sydney on February 3, and another position had been offered to her.

Loading The government and Mr Moraitis have denied that her resignation was sought, although they have conceded that there was talk of another position being "on the table". Follow us on Twitter