The senior member of Mr Abbott’s team made his strong displeasure known privately after a public suggestion yesterday by Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey of a double-cross.

But Mr Wilkie denied last night he had set a trap for the Coalition as payback for his treatment by the Howard Government in 2003 as a whistle-blower against the Iraq war.

The flare-ups follow Mr Wilkie agreeing to back Labor to form a minority government, giving caretaker Prime Minister Julia Gillard at least 74 seats in the House of Representatives.

Mr Wilkie revealed he had rejected an offer from Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for the money for the hospital.

The Independent said he thought the offer was reckless and Mr Abbott had not explained where a Coalition government would find that amount of money.

Mr Hockey said Mr Wilkie had not asked where the money would come from. Asked on the ABC if Mr Wilkie had double-crossed the Coalition, Mr Hockey replied: ‘‘Good question.’’

Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb pointed out that Mr Wilkie had asked for money to renovate the hospital. ‘‘I find it somewhat off, his claim yesterday,’’ he said.

‘‘It is a bit ironic that he spent a week and a half trying to desperately convince Tony Abbott that this was not only not reckless, but the most responsible thing that he thought could be done.’’

Mr Wilkie accepted an offer on Thursday from Ms Gillard of $340 million for the hospital, just hours after Treasury revealed a black hole in the Coalition’s costings.

He said yesterday that he still believed the offer of $1 billion was irresponsible. He had asked the Coalition for funding to replace the Hobart Hospital but had never asked specifically for $1 billion.

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