Senior members of Aussie gov't dismiss former PM's comments on his downfall

CANBERRA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- senior members of the Australian government have dismissed former Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's explosive comments about his downfall.

Australia's minister for Finance Mathias Cormann and a key figure in the leadership crisis that ended in Turnbull being deposed as leader of the governing Liberal-National Party coalition (LNP), on Friday told Sky News Australia that the saga is "ancient history."

"We have a responsibility to give ourselves the best possible opportunity to be successful at the next election, and that is what we are all focused on," Cormann said.

Turnbull on Thursday told British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) television that his downfall was the result of a "peculiarly Australian form of madness."

"You could argue that their concern was not that I would lose the election, but rather that I would win it," he said.

"There is no question the government's position is -- and it still could win the election, the Liberal government -- but its position is much less favourable than it was back in August."

According to Newspoll, Australia's leading opinion poll, the LNP trailed the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) 49-51 on a two-party-preferred basis at the end of Turnbull's term as prime minister.

Under the leadership of Scott Morrison, the man chosen to replace Turnbull as the leader, the party's support has fallen, according to Newspoll.

"We'd drawn, had essentially drawn equal, even, and in our own polling in the marginal seats which is obviously the only ones that matter you know in terms of determining government, we were ahead," Turnbull said.

"It was a peculiarly Australian form of madness, I'm afraid."

Responding to the interview, Defence minister Christopher Pyne who will retire from politics in May said "Malcolm can do whatever interviews he likes" but the party had to focus on stopping the ALP "from wrecking our economy."

"I think we have raked over those coals quite enough in the last few months. I don't propose to talk about it any further," he said.