Among the cavalcade of ministers pledging their support for Prime Minister Tony Abbott there was one statement that really stood out - for all the wrong reasons.
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Defence Minister Kevin Andrews followed his colleagues by calling a press conference to plead for unity amid the extraordinary leadership crisis gripping the Liberal Party.
"I believe the team of Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard is the best leadership team for the Liberal Party and therefore part of the best leadership team of the Coalition for the country," he said.
It was unfortunate. And it was perfect.
That the Defence Minister would utter the former prime minister's name – instead of deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop – was a glorious slip of the tongue.
Every minister who fronted the press on Friday was at pains to remind voters of the circus-like Rudd-Gillard years.
Mr Andrews just did a better job of demonstrating how much it was haunting them.
"The Australian people voted for this team," Mr Andrews continued.
"We should respect the decision that the Australian people made and, most importantly, we should be acting for stability of the party and through that for the stability of the country."
One by one, ministers emerged on Friday to declare they would not support next Tuesday's leadership spill.
They included Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Employment Minister Eric Abetz and Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
"I believe that the spill motion should be defeated and will be defeated," Mr Frydenberg told the ABC.
"We saw, from the Labor Party when they were in government, it turn out like a very bad horror movie. I just don't want to buy another ticket to such a horror movie."
