Senator Eric Abetz says Julie Bishop “has questions to answer”. Pictur: SAM ROSEWARNE

It was reported today the Foreign Minister’s chief of staff Murray Hansen attended a meeting the night before Tony Abbott was ousted as Prime Minister by Mr Turnbull.

Ms Bishop confirmed today that Mr Hansen attended the “drinks night” at the home of Eden-Monaro MP Peter Hendy near Canberra

“He was there to meet with Peter Hendy,” she said.

“I did not know who would be attending the meeting and, of course, like all chiefs of staff, they feed back the information that they’ve learned and it was part of my job, as it had been all year, to find out what the back bench were thinking.

“Indeed, it’s the job of every member of the leadership team, the leader of the Senate, the leader of the House, the Deputy Prime Minister, the deputy leader, the Prime Minister, to know what the back bench is thinking and that’s precisely what I was doing.”

The Foreign Minister said told Mr Abbott about the meeting as soon as possible.

“When I learned who was there on the Monday morning and when Cabinet Ministers came to see me I made the first opportunity available to see the Prime Minister, who didn’t have a leadership meeting that morning because he was in Adelaide and was flying,” she said.

“I met him within five minutes of his attendance here in Parliament House.”

Tony Abbott with Julie Bishop when the then Prime Minister was facing initial threats to his leadership back in February this year. Picture Craig GreenhillSource:News Corp Australia

Responding to questions about why interview transcripts conducted in days following the spill were removed from her website Ms Bishop said it was standard practise of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to omit internal party matters.

She said DFAT has done the same for previous foreign ministers.

“In light of the allegation that I was seeking to hide something I contacted DFAT and asked that these transcripts be put on the ministerial website,” she said.

“They have agreed with me to do that and we will review the past practise whereby the DFAT removes parts of transcripts that relate only to party political matters.”

Earlier today, former employment minister Eric Abetz said Ms Bishop had questions to answer over the reports.

Senator Abetz, who was forced onto the backbench when Malcolm Turnbull came to power, said if the report was true it was “disappointing and it raises a lot of questions”.

“When I was a Minister I would never have countenanced my chief of staff going to a meeting without my imprimatur and approval,” he told Sky News.

“And so I think a question does need to be answered whether the chief of staff was there on a frolic of his own or with the imprimatur of the deputy leader.

“I think colleagues are entitled to know exactly what was going on because a meeting of that nature, having people from Victoria and Queensland and that nature is not organised at a minute’s notice.”

Senator Abetz said the meeting must have been organised in advance.

“One would imagine if there were such a meeting there might have been an obligation as a loyal deputy to report that to the leader of the time,” he said.

“But look, the facts are sketchy and let’s see what the response is.

“But I think it is deserving of a response because it would be very disappointing if a deputy was sending a chief of staff to a meeting of that nature.”

Mr Hendy refused to comment this morning, saying he had already said everything he planned to on the issue.

“I invite you to look at the public record,” he told reporters.

Incoming ... (l-r) Peter Hendy, Wyatt Roy, Arthur Sinodinos, Scott Ryan (obscured), Malcolm Turnbull Mal Brough and Mitch Fifield. Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty ImagesSource:Supplied

Liberal MP Alex Hawke, who was promoted to Assistant Minister to the Treasurer after the Cabinet reshuffle, said the revelations were “completely unsurprising”.

“I wouldn’t be surprised in the period leading up to the decision in the party room that the Deputy Leader was taking all the soundings that she could, with all the colleagues that she could and forming her own view so she could inform the Prime Minister,” he told Sky News.

Mr Turnbull claimed the leadership from Mr Abbott on September 14 by 54 to 44 in a late-night ballot.

Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek said Ms Bishop had a “very well deserved reputation among her colleagues of being a survivor.”

“It’s not just Labor saying Julie Bishop has questions to answer over her involvement of the stalking and bringing down of a Prime Minister,” she told reporters.

“Her own Party are saying that she has questions to answer; that it is plain she was up to her neck in the bringing down of Tony Abbott.”