While Mr Morrison has regularly appeared on Hadley's program on 2GB - with the broadcaster making no secret of his admiration for Mr Morrison - the two fell out in spectacular style during the Friday morning interview. Frontbencher Scott Morrison said he rejected Tony Abbott's offer of the Treasurer's role because it would "throw Joe Hockey under a bus". Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Morrison told Hadley, in connection with his Bible request, "If that's what you need, then we don't have the relationship that I thought we had." During the 17-minute interview, Mr Morrison called Hadley "mate" 18 times. The minister, who is tipped to be promoted to the Treasury in the Turnbull cabinet next week, angrily told Hadley that he was not going to use his Christian faith "for a stunt for your program".

At one point the interview threatened to descend into farce when Hadley insisted there was a Bible in the Canberra studio where Mr Morrison was speaking from. Ray Hadley has withdrawn his Dural home from the market. Credit:Peter Rae The minister insisted that he could only see some old budget papers and a Productivity Commission report. A copy of the Bible was spotted in the studio by Fairfax Media after the interview. Mr Morrison said that he had "no role" in Mr Abbott's "demise" on Monday night. Outgoing Treasurer Joe Hockey. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He told Hadley he had voted for the former prime minister and dismissed reports that he had failed to mobilise his supporters to back Mr Abbott. "They're their own people and they make their own decisions," Mr Morrison said. "I did everything I could to make his government a success," he said, adding that he was one of the "best performing" ministers in the Abbott government. Supporters of Mr Abbott have been furious at what they see as a betrayal from Mr Morrison on Monday. They argue that, even though he voted for the former prime minister, he did not ensure that his supporters did the same - thus sealing Mr Abbott's fate.

Mr Morrison said that he had warned Mr Abbott's office last Friday, telling them that "things were pretty febrile and they should be on high alert". He argued that any promotion he got under Mr Turnbull would be on "merit". The Social Services Minister, who had the high profile immigration portfolio until last year's reshuffle, also said that the only person who had offered him the job of Treasurer before Monday's ballot was Mr Abbott. In a stunning admission, Mr Morrison said that he refused, and could not understand why Mr Abbott was offering him the job when he had backed Mr Hockey so strongly. "I didn't understand why he wanted me to pick a fight with Joe Hockey," he said.

After the interview, Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra that he didn't think Mr Abbott's Treasury offer had been "well thought through". "Obviously it had been brought together in haste, given the events [on Monday]," he said. Loading "Mr Abbott had expressed absolute confidence and loyalty to Joe Hockey, so why would he have changed ... to me?" Follow on Twitter