Christopher Pyne: Minister’s divisive boast on same-sex marriage

UPDATE: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tries to spin vexatious same-sex marriage boast by Christopher Pyne into attack on Labor.

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PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s office instructed Coalition MPs to turn contentious comments made by Christopher Pyne at a closed factional event into an attack on Labor in talking points circulated this morning.

Mr Turnbull reiterated the talking points when asked about Mr Pyne’s comments at the function in Sydney on Friday evening, remarks about same-sex marriage being introduced “sooner than everyone thinks” which have inflamed conservatives within the Liberal Party — including former leader Tony Abbott who accused Mr Pyne of “disloyalty”.

“Same sex marriage would be legal if Bill Shorten gave the Australian people the chance to decide back in February,” a morning memo sent to all MPs from the Members Services Unit.

“Our plebiscite policy is clear … the minister did not say action on marriage equality was imminent.

“The minister said that while marriage equality had failed to materialise over the last two years, it would become a reality eventually.”

Senior Turnbull Minister Christopher Pyne was recorded boasting about the early introduction of same-sex marriage.

Mr Turnbull said gay marriage would only be law once the Australian public had voted on the issue.

“As far as the same sex marriage issue, our policy is very clear, it has not changed, we have no plans to change it,” he said.

“The ball is in Bill Shorten’s court. If he wants Australians to agree to gay marriage, then he should agree to the plebiscite and let everyone have their say.”

The Daily Telegraph revealed today an audio recording had been leaked to columnist Andrew Bolt where Mr Pyne was caught boasting the left-wing of the Liberal Party had taken over, and would soon introduce gay marriage.

The inflammatory remarks have immediately inflamed a factional division at the most senior ranks of the Turnbull Government, where there are concerns over Labor-Lite policy being introduced.

.@TonyAbbottMHR says @cpyne has not been ‘fair dinkum’ with the Australia people. MORE: https://t.co/RiA1TnwtK4 pic.twitter.com/j8y3uctNRd

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 25, 2017

Speaking on 2GB this morning, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott accused Mr Pyne of “disloyalty” and of not being “fair-dinkum” with voters, warning the Liberal Party was bleeding support to fringe groups on the Right, like One Nation and Cory Bernardi.

“You need to have a strong and sensible centre right party otherwise people start drifting off to the fringe, and that’s what we’ve seen in recent times,” he said.

“We need a strong and sensible centre right government which is unambiguously economically liberal and socially conservative.”

Speaking of Mr Pyne’s comments that gay marriage would happen “sooner than everyone thinks”, Mr Abbott said to introduce gay marriage without a plebiscite would be a “breach of faith” and a broken election commitment.

“It looks like one of our number has been caught out,” Mr Abbott said.

“You’ve got to be fair dinkum with the Australian people and it looks like that’s not been true of Christopher.”

Mr Abbott also reacted to Mr Pyne’s crow, revealed in the leaked tape, that he had backed Mr Turnbull in every leadership ballot.

“If you are a member of a cabinet you have to be loyal and Christopher Pyne was not just a member of my cabinet, he was in the leadership team and it’s important that you show loyalty,” Mr Abbott said.

“If he’s to be believed on Friday night, that loyalty was never there which is incredibly disappointing.”

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The leaked recording captured the Defence Industry Minister, a soft-Liberal powerbroker and close ally of Malcolm Turnbull, making the explosive remarks at an afterparty following the federal Liberal Council gala dinner on Friday evening.

“Friends, we are in the winner’s circle but we have to deliver a couple of things and one of those we’ve got to deliver before too long is marriage equality in this country,” Mr Pyne says on the tape.

“We’re going to get it. I think it might even be sooner than everyone thinks. And your friends in Canberra are working on that outcome.”

Mr Pyne was also caught on tape celebrating the success of the left faction of the Liberal Party. “Two years ago … Malcolm Turnbull was the communications minister and now he’s the Prime Minister,” Mr Pyne said.

Supporters of marriage equality have repeatedly called on MPs to pass legislation recognising gay marriage.

“I would say that our fortunes are pretty good at the moment. And most of your senior Cabinet ministers, George Brandis, Marise Payne, yours truly, quite a few of us are very senior ministers in a Turnbull government.

“Now there was a time when people said it wouldn’t happen, but George and I kept the faith. We voted for Malcolm Turnbull in every ballot he’s ever been in.”

The comments are inflammatory given Mr Turnbull has been working tirelessly to appease conservative MPs and voters ever since he claimed the leadership from Tony Abbott.

Any same-sex marriage plans would be a backflip on former-PM Tony Abbott’s policy.

The Prime Minister has made a point of taking policy counsel from senior conservative figures, including Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

The revelations look set to cause further unrest in the party, which is already unsettled over plans for a Clean Energy Target and a high-spending, high-taxing Budget considered by many to be Labor-lite.

The Liberal Party under Mr Abbott had agreed to hold a plebiscite on same-sex marriage, but Labor and the Greens vetoed that option.

Mr Pyne spoke at the Black Hand Reception, held at The Star’s Cherry Bar.

The right arm of the Liberal Party does not support introducing same-sex marriage without giving Australians the chance to have their say.

Mr Pyne clarified his position this morning after The Daily Telegraph published the story.

“I support marriage equality and if Labor had supported the plebiscite, marriage equality would be a reality now,” he said.

“The government has no plans to alter the policy.”

Speaking on Sunrise, Treasurer Scott Morrison said the government had a policy.

“We took it to the last election,” he said.

“That’s the policy we’ve honoured in this parliament. The only party that’s standing in the way of people having their say on this issue is the Labor Party.

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, who is in London, said he was focused on other issues, such as the trade mission he is about to undertake.

“I’m going to make sure that I’m concentrating on the issues that people who elected me want, which is to get the best return back through the farm gate,” he told reporters after laying a wreath for London Bridge terror victims.

“What happens at dinners and other parts of Sydney is of no real consequence to me.”

Mr Pyne was recorded at the Black Hand Reception, held at The Star’s Cherry Bar.

Attendees included Attorney-General Mr Brandis, moderate powerbroker Michael Photios and his wife Kristina, NSW Liberal Party president and federal MP Trent Zimmerman and City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster, Mr Abbott’s sister.

Asked about the speech, Mr Pyne’s spokesman denied there were imminent plans to legalise gay marriage.

“The minister did not say action on marriage equality was imminent,” he said.

“The minister said that while marriage equality had failed to materialise over the last two years, it would become­ a reality­ eventually­.”