Malcolm Turnbull has publicly contradicted his predecessor, Tony Abbott, suggesting the former prime minister lied by claiming his office was unaware of a 2015 deal to trade a Senate vote for a change in gun laws.
And as federal and state police ministers prepare to meet in Melbourne on Friday to discuss the ban on the Adler shotgun, Fairfax Media can reveal the nation's policing agencies have confidentially assessed the gun as a clear and obvious threat to public safety and urged access to it be severely restricted, if the ban on versions of the gun that can fire more than five shots is to be lifted.
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Slapdown: Turnbull contradicts Abbott
Tony Abbott says he was unaware of gun control negotiations with independent senator David Leyonhjelm, but the Prime Minister contests this.
A security source told Fairfax Media state and federal police agencies have raised significant concerns about the weapon, though they have not advocated a permanent ban.
Instead, the official said, police agencies have advised the shotgun should be classified as either a category C or D weapon, the two most restrictive categories, to largely keep it out of circulation.
"While they are not here they are not a problem," the source said. Mr Turnbull and his government have repeatedly said all state and territory ministers must agree to reclassify the gun, with tougher restrictions, if the ban is to be lifted. NSW Nationals police minister Troy Grant wants the gun classified in the B class.
In Parliament, the Prime Minister's rebuke of Mr Abbott drew an audible gasp from MPs in the House of Representatives and came at the end of a week in which the government's attempt to focus on a pair of key industrial relations bills has been sidetracked by debate about Australia's gun laws. It is certain to escalate simmering tensions in the Coalition.
And in a dramatic conclusion to a day of drama in the House, Mr Abbott earned a roar of approval from his own side at the end of Question Time as he claimed he had been grievously misrepresented - but by Labor, not Mr Turnbull.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten sparked the confrontation when he asked Mr Turnbull whether, as Mr Abbott had claimed on the ABC's 7.30 on Wednesday night, "the Minister for Immigration [Peter Dutton] and the Minister for Justice [Michael Keenan] made a deal to trade guns for votes without the authority of the then prime minister".
Mr Turnbull backed his ministers and rebuked his predecessor by contradicting Mr Abbott's claim his office was unaware of any horse trading on a so-called "guns for votes" deal with Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm.
"I have made inquiries of my ministers and can say to the House as a result of those inquiries I'm satisfied that the Minister for Justice acted in the full knowledge of the Prime Minister's Office at that time," Mr Turnbull said.
Earlier this week, Mr Turnbull had been careful to praise his predecessor for his handling of the ban on the rapid-fire Adler shotgun.
But after Mr Abbott told 7.30 on Wednesday that there may have been an email from "a staffer in a minister's office, [but] no deals from me. No deals from my office. No deal", the gloves came off and Mr Turnbull hit back.
Mr Shorten pounced on Mr Turnbull's response, asking: "Can the Prime Minister confirm that in a previous answer today he stated that the member for Warringah was wrong when he told the 7.30 Report that the Prime Minister's Office was not informed by ministers Dutton or Keenan or their staff about the guns for votes deal??"
Mr Turnbull doubled down, stating: "I refer the honorable member to my previous answer, which I think was perfectly clear."
In his post question time attack on Labor, rather than Mr Turnbull, Mr Abbott said the opposition had "put it to this Parliament that I had somehow connived at a deal with Senator Leyonhjelm to weaken Australia's tough, gold standard gun control laws. This is absolutely and utterly false".
"This is a smokescreen to cover up for the fact that Labor is running a protection racket for the CFMEU . . . you can only trust this Coalition to keep our country safe."
Mr Turnbull had hoped Parliament would this week focus on the government's attempt to reestablish the Australian Building and Construction Commission. However, the week has been overrun by the gun control debate.
The furore began when Senator Leyonhjelm released emails earlier between staff in Mr Keenan's office and his office that clearly suggested a deal had, in fact, been struck.
Mr Shorten said it was clear a civil war was under way in the Coalition and that "we all heard it - that thudding noise as Malcolm Turnbull threw Tony Abbott under the bus".
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