This is just the first of many relentless leaks & sneak peeks from Turnbull.

Mathias Cormann is the focus of this first story Turnbull's given to Nick Tabakoff and The Australian.

You can rest assured Turnbull has a plan to follow up targeting Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott and the list will go on relentlessly.

Can't wait to hear what a wonderful bloke Bill Shorten is and how he should have been PM.

Cormann’s initial text to Turnbull, in part, read: “I was not part of any planned conspiracy or ­insurgency. I genuinely backed you until events developed, sadly, which in my judgment made our position irretrievable. I immediately and honestly advised you ­directly.”

Cormann claimed in the message to have been surprised by Dutton’s first (unsuccessful) challenge to Turnbull on Tuesday, August 21.

“I was genuinely blindsided by the leadership ballot on the Tuesday and events developed rapidly from there,” he told Turnbull.

He even invoked his wife, Perth lawyer Hayley Cormann, in apologising to Turnbull. “All this has been very painful — yes I know first and foremost for you and for that I’m very sorry. But also for me. My wife was genuinely traumatised by it all.”

Turnbull’s text in reply was withering: “Mathias, at a time when strength and loyalty were called for, you were weak and treacherous. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Turnbull even referenced his mention of Hayley Cormann: “I well understand how disappointed your wife is in your conduct.”

The former PM’s book will ­explain why he was ­angrier with Cormann than any other cabinet colleague. He writes: “Cormann’s treachery was the worst and most hurtful. He’d become a trusted friend of mine, and of Lucy … I’d ­always trusted Cormann, ignoring constant warnings that he was an untrustworthy, Machiavellian schemer.”

Turnbull also crunches the numbers to assert that if Cormann hadn’t flipped sides to Dutton, he could have remained PM. “Dutton didn’t have the numbers at any stage — as the ballots demonstrated. If Cormann, (Mitch) Fifield and (Michaelia) Cash had voted against the spill on the Friday ­(August 24), it wouldn’t have been carried: there’d have been 43 votes against and 42 for.”

ENDS

I love that last bit - if my aunty had a pair she'd be my uncle.

What a dreadful character, so glad we no longer have to suffer under The Government of Turnbull.