Scott Morrison has arranged to be travelling 35,000 feet in the air during the ABC’s broadcast of Malcolm Turnbull’s first major post coup interview tonight on Q&A.

But while the Prime Minister’s mode of transport is designed to spare him the indignity of watching it, his government is a political hostage to the circus.

Political staffers are open about the fact there is simply no point announcing any policies or discussing politics today, as it will be swamped by the former Prime Minister’s media appearance.

Many of the disappointed staffers are Turnbull loyalists, who say while they are still fond of the former Prime Minister they just can’t believe how “petty” he has turned out to be after he was deposed as leader.

Speaking in Queensland, Mr Morrison confirmed he would not be watching Mr Turnbull’s appearance.

“I am on my way home to Sydney tonight,” he said.

Asked if he had any proposed questions for Mr Turnbull, the Prime Minister said

“I wish him the best and if I asked him a question I would say how are you going?”

Labor leader Bill Shorten said he would not be watching as he would be attending a town hall meeting with voters in Perth.

“I want to hear from the people, not from Malcolm Turnbull,” he said.

“I don’t want to speak ill of the past, I will leave it to the Liberal Party to bag him. He had his go for three years.

“The Liberal Party didn’t treat him well. They didn’t treat Julie Bishop well did they?

“I want to say Australians weighing up watching one Liberal prime minister bag another prime minister, Labor hears you loud and clear you’re sick of the instability.”

Mr Morrison is reportedly “done with” Mr Turnbull after he refused to help during the Wentworth by-election.

The Prime Minister was left scalded after he recently tried to suggest that tMalcolm Turnbull had overstepped the mark in Indonesia by criticising the decision to consider relocating Australia’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Mr Turnbull’s response was to effectively accuse him of being a liar on Twitter, confirming he was briefed on the issue and cleared to discuss it with the Indonesian President.