Sharri Markson: Same-sex marriage a fatal distraction to Turnbull government

SAME-SEX marriage keeps coming up to distract the government at their moments of greatest strength, with the next fortnight crucial to resolving the chaos, writes Sharri Markson.

National Political Editor, Sharri Markson. Picture: Justin Lloyd

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ON Sunday morning, Malcolm Turnbull rose early to address the country about the terror plot to bring down what would turn out to be an Etihad flight from Sydney with hundreds on board.

The Prime Minister had been across the situation since Wednesday, and was central to deciding when to raid the homes of the alleged plotters and disrupt their plans, along with the ability of authorities to gather evidence for later use in court.

The next day, every media outlet across Australia was focused on the unfolding detail of the terrifying plot to, allegedly, either blow up the plane or gas everyone on board.

Artwork: Terry Pontikos

It would have been Australia’s 9/11. Thanks to our intelligence agencies and our Five Eyes partners, we had avoided a major terrorist incident.

That same day, in the midst of nationwide shock, five men, mostly belonging to the Prime Minister’s Moderate faction, chose to change the conversation from national security — where the Turnbull government has a clear strength — to gay marriage.

Trevor Evans, Tim Wilson and Dean Smith spoke out in co-ordinated media appearances, stealing the media cycle from Mr Turnbull.

It was only six weeks ago the parliamentary winter break began with Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne pledging same-sex marriage would be introduced sooner than everyone thinks.

His off-guard comments — following a few too many glasses of wine — were made the day after the Turnbull government’s victory on Gonski.

Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: Colin Murty/The Australian

When the government should have been selling its major win on education reforms, the news agenda was hijacked by internal divisions in the Liberal Party on gay marriage.

It’s not Tony Abbott who has been suffocating the Turnbull government’s political messages.

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It is Tim Wilson, Trent Zimmerman, Trevor Evans, Dean Smith and Warren Entsch.

These five MPs must have a sixth sense for the moment Turnbull catches a break, and are quick to steal his thunder with issue that remains deeply divisive inside the Liberal Party.

“Today we need to be talking about terrorism and the fantastic work our agencies have done — but instead, because of these saboteurs, these suicide bombers in our own party, we’re talking about same-sex marriage,” one minister said to me on Monday.

The Prime Minister is clearly exasperated. At press conferences this week, his frustration was apparent, as he implored journalists to ask about his internship announcement. Or anything, just no more questions on gay marriage.

Please.

His irritation, while understandable, was misdirected.

Instead of hitting out at press conferences — in sound bites the public hears — he needs to express it to the five MPs who are changing the conversation and derailing his agenda.

He spoke to both Trevor Evans and Dean Smith on Tuesday, requesting they back away from introducing a gay marriage bill and instead support the government policy of a plebiscite.

Federal MP for Brisbane Trevor Evans. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

His plea doesn’t seem to have worked, indicating that his authority is already being undermined.

The MPs are discussing suspending standing orders to introduce their own private members’ bill, which would likely pass the House of Representatives with the support of a majority of Labor MPs and a couple of crossbenchers.

The MPs do not see this as “crossing the floor” and see it as a preferable option to allowing Labor to suspend standing orders, and, thus hand governing authority to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

“I have not ruled out supporting a Liberal motion or a Liberal bill, and am currently consulting with my community, my party and my colleagues,” Tim Wilson said, before he clamped down.

It is yet to be seen whether the resolve of the MPs to side with Labor to introduce gay marriage will withstand the pressure from their senior colleagues, who are begging them not to go rogue.

Do they have the mettle?

Turnbull has moved the Liberal party room meeting, where gay marriage will be debated, to Monday afternoon. At the meeting, the party will vote on whether to have a conscience vote or to stick to current policy of a plebiscite.

The move is designed to reach a team consensus, taking the problem out of Turnbull’s hands and making it the entire party’s.

There is a lot at stake. The Right have made it clear that if Turnbull doesn’t come out swinging against the idea of a free vote on gay marriage, they will call a spill motion and his leadership will be in jeopardy.

For some MPs, passing gay marriage is more important than government stability.

Warren Entsch, for one, has made it very clear he is prepared to blow the whole show up to pass gay marriage.

Liberal MP Warren Entsch at a cross-party marriage equality supporters event. Picture: Kym Smith

Does it matter to him if Turnbull remains leader? Or if the Coalition agreement remains in place?

The anger felt by the Nationals over this has been underestimated.

Barnaby Joyce and his MPs are annoyed that they compromised a great deal to agree to a plebiscite, when they detest the concept of changing the definition of marriage.

They are furious the Nats delivered government to Turnbull, yet he would risk the Coalition agreement — which stipulates a plebiscite as the path to gay marriage — by failing to pull into line MPs who are hijacking the government’s agenda with their pet issue.

They say Turnbull cannot control his own faction.

“This is his own faction preparing to threaten him,” the source said.

Wilson, Zimmerman, Evans, Smith and Entsch could be recorded in history as heroes who fought against the tide, who rebelled against discrimination and were at the forefront of the momentous move to allow gay people to marry.

Or they may forever be known as the five men who killed off Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership.

In the next fortnight, we will have the answer.