Leaked government talking points suggest Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull remain at "war", despite the two "working in the same direction" on reforming the NSW Liberal Party.
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A list of daily media messages prepared for an unnamed Coalition MP and obtained by Sky News on Thursday tells the MP to say that there is "no sign of any conflict" between the leadership rivals.
But the section of the document that says the pair are "working in the same direction" on controversial internal Liberal Party reform plans is embarrassingly headed "Abbott-Turnbull war".
A reform plan proposed by Mr Turnbull and NSW Premier Mike Baird won support at the party's state conference in Sydney on the weekend, beating out a rival push by Mr Abbott.
Party leaders' offices regularly prepare lists of talking points for government and opposition MPs, but it is understood the leaked list was prepared by an individual member's office.
The document also includes new details about the controversial Adler lever-action shotgun importation ban, referencing Mr Abbott's former chief of staff Peta Credlin, now employed as a commentator for Sky News.
In a section headed "Credlin/Abbott on guns", the talking points suggest the MP should stress that the longstanding ban on the gun remains in place in Australia, at least until state and territory governments reach a new agreement.
Separate talking points distributed by the Prime Minister's office to Coalition MPs on Thursday do not mention Mr Abbott, Ms Credlin or the Adler shotgun.
Last week Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin denied they had made a deal to lift the importation ban with crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm in exchange for his support on a migration bill.
Federal, state and territory ministers failed to agree on a plan to reclassify the weapon at a meeting on Friday, leaving the importation ban in place.
Labor has accused the Coalition of being engaged in a "revolving door prime ministership".
On Wednesday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor had caught the Turnbull government "negotiating guns for votes" with Senator Leyonhjelm.
"This whole situation is very peculiar," Mr Shorten said.
Asked about the leaked talking points, Assistant Social Services Minister Jane Prentice told Sky both Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott agreed that the existing Adler importation ban should remain in place.
"Malcolm Turnbull and the government are getting on with the job. There is no threat to Malcolm's leadership," Ms Prentice said.
"The real issue, the political conflict in federal Parliament at the moment is in the Labor party, where the unions are telling them how to vote."
