Nothing could demonstrate the ridiculous relationship between right wing shock jocks and the former Abbott government than Ray Hadley’s astonishing treatment of Scott Morrison on Friday.

Hadley, channelling the blind rage of the supporters of the former prime minister, took it upon himself to allege, on air, that Morrison was lying when he denied “running dead” or persuading backbench supporters to vote for Malcolm Turnbull even though he himself voted for Tony Abbott. According to the Abbott supporters’ post mortem it was the Morrison-bloc votes that sealed his fate.

Hadley had the temerity to insist that Morrison – a Christian – swear on a Bible to prove he was not lying to a radio announcer. Exactly who does this bloke think he is?

Scott Morrison 'offended' by Hadley's request to swear on Bible he backed Abbott Read more

Morrison, quite rightly, dismissed that as an “offensive stunt” before agreeing to do it if Hadley insisted, which in the end he didn’t.

“I’m not going to use my faith for a stunt for your program,”said Morrison, reasonably.

“I’m sorry if you are offended by it, but that’s what it takes for me to believe you,” replied Hadley, supremely confident that what he believes remains a relevant factor in the national debate.

Morrison said he had not spoken to Abbott since shaking his hand after the ballot on Monday. Never fear, Hadley could inform him that “someone close to Abbott” thought Morrison had “blotted his copybook”, with all the self confidence of a head prefect delivering the headmaster’s admonishing of a school boy. A few minutes later he told a listener the comment had come from Abbott himself.

Hadley insisted Morrison’s version would be disproven if he became treasurer in Turnbull’s new ministry on Monday, sweeping aside the inconvenient fact that Abbott had offered Morrison the treasury job when he was trying to cling to his job late Monday.

Actually, the swearing in of a Turnbull ministry will diminish the bloated influence of shock jocks like Hadley, and their howls of outrage show they know this is the case.