Prime Minister Scott Morrison has brushed aside allegations from one of his own senators that he is "ruthless" and "lacking a moral compass".
Outgoing Liberal Concetta Fierravanti-Wells laid into the prime minister during a fiery late-night parliamentary speech on Tuesday.
The senator, who lost preselection for her NSW upper house seat at the weekend, claimed Mr Morrison was "not fit to be prime minister" hours .
"He is adept at running with the foxes and hunting with the hounds, lacking a moral compass and having no conscience," she told the Senate.
"In my public life, I have met ruthless people. Morrison tops the list followed closely by (Immigration Minister Alex) Hawke. Morrison is not fit to be prime minister, and Hawke certainly is not fit to be a minister.
"Morrison is not interested in rules-based order. It is his way or the highway — an autocrat, a bully who has no moral compass."
However, Mr Morrison said attracting criticism is simply part of the territory in the top job.
"As prime minister, there are lots of people who will disagree with you, there are lots of people who will say all sorts of things about you," he told Sydney's radio 2GB on Wednesday morning.
"It comes with the job. You've got to have a thick skin and you've got to be able to focus on the things that matter most to Australians."
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said while the prime minister has been quick to point out the need for culture reviews within the Labor Party, he has not addressed issues within the Liberals.
"Those people who know Scott Morrison well attest to the flaws in his character," he told ABC News on Wednesday.
"It's extraordinary that a sitting serving senator who's been a former minister, who has served alongside in the ministry with Scott Morrison, says he is unfit to be prime minister. Those comments do say a lot."
Speaking to SBS News on Wednesday, Mr Morrison said he would be willing to be held accountable through an inquiry into the claims.
"Our Party has that process, and I would encourage Senator Fierravanti-Wells to raise those issues directly as part of that process. So I am happy for that to be addressed through that, and to be held accountable through that process," he said.
When asked whether he would be doing some "soul-searching" about his own behaviour, the prime minister replied, "no", adding: "I have provided strong support for my team".
In her speech, Senator Fierravanti-Wells also labelled Mr Morrison an "autocrat", adding that other members of the Liberal Party share a similar view.
"They have lost faith in the party, they want to leave. They don't like Morrison and they don't trust him," she said.
Her comments come after Senator Fierravanti-Wells was relegated to an unwinnable spot on the Liberals' NSW Senate ticket.
"I understand that Senator Fierravanti-Wells is disappointed that, on the weekend, 500 Liberal Party members came to decide who would contest for the Liberal Party of NSW," Mr Morrison told SBS News.
"They rightly, in my view, backed strongly Senator Payne and Senator Molan. And Senator Fierravanti-Wells was unsuccessful on this occasion. She has been successful on other occasions, and on occasions, with my very strong support."
In Tuesday night's speech, Senator Fierravanti-Wells also accused the prime minister of making racist comments during his own preselection in 2007.
"I'm advised that there are several statutory declarations to attest to racial comments made by Morrison at the time that we can't have a Lebanese person in (the federal seat of) Cook," she said.
Mr Morrison told 2GB the claim was "rubbish".
Pressed on the issue, he said: "It's not true".
