Scott Morrison has declared those who voted for him don't care how he became prime minister, brushing off questions about his role in the downfall of Malcolm Turnbull.
Last week, Sky News and The Australian separately exposed behind-the-scenes details of the Liberal leadership battle that resulted in Mr Morrison becoming prime minister.
More revelations spilled out over the weekend ahead of the publication of a new book, Plots and Prayers by columnist Niki Savva, a former adviser to Peter Costello.
She writes that Mr Morrison's supporters deliberately voted for Peter Dutton, pumping up his vote in the first spill motion with the intention of removing Mr Turnbull.
But Mr Morrison said the media are the only ones interested in last year's leadership ructions, and voters just want the government "to get cracking on all those things they want".
"That's where they want my mind focused, not on musing over histories," he told AAP in Osaka, Japan, where he has been attending the G20 summit.
"It's all ancient history, we've had an election since then."
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham insisted Mr Morrison had his predecessor's back.
"I have complete confidence that Scott Morrison did everything he possibly could to support Malcolm Turnbull," he told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
He said how Liberal colleagues voted in the first spill wasn't the responsibility of Mr Morrison.
"Each and every individual member of the Liberal Party room is responsible for their vote in those circumstances," he said.
"None of us can claim responsibility or expect to be able to direct the votes of any one of our colleagues."
Writing in The Australian on Saturday, Ms Savva said Mr Turnbull had plenty of people to blame for his demise but his anger was targeted at Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.
She said the former prime minister was convinced Senator Cormann's betrayal, by resigning and throwing his support behind his close friend Mr Dutton during the heat of the party's upheaval, was staged and timed to revive a faltering challenge.
