Christopher Pyne secret recording on government gay marriage plan released

A SECRET recording of Christopher Pyne revealing his government was planning to move on gay marriage “sooner than everyone thinks” has been released. LISTEN NOW

• Andrew Bolt: Pyne drops Turnbull’s plan for Liberals

A SECRET recording of Christopher Pyne letting slip that his government was planning to move on gay marriage “sooner than everyone thinks” has been released as the Prime Minister says he has “no plans” for a parliamentary vote on the issue.

Malcolm Turnbull has played down the recording, released exclusively by the Herald Sun and on Sky’s The Bolt Report.

Andrew Bolt said Mr Pyne’s revelation suggested the Prime Minister was “secretly plotting to break an election promise”.

He said the comments were “likely to instead trigger a revolt from conservative MPs already furious that Turnbull has signed up the Liberals to Labor-style policies on global warming, school funding and debt”.

Mr Pyne comments at a factional gathering on Friday night incensed former PM Tony Abbott — who accused him of not being “fair dinkum” with the Australian people.

Christopher Pyne’s comments incensed former PM Tony Abbott. Picture: Ray Strange.

Mr Abbott said any change to the Liberal’s policy on same-sex marriage would “breach” the trust of its supporters.

“To dump the plebiscite, to do anything without a plebiscite, would be a breach of faith with the people,” Mr Abbott said.

Mr Turnbull said he understood the disappointment of those lobbying for gay marriage but blamed Labor for the delay.

“We took a very straightforward policy to the election, which was there would be a vote on gay marriage in the parliament after the Australian people had voted to support it in a plebiscite,” he said.

“I believe if a plebiscite had been held it would have been carried but the reason the plebiscite has not been hold is because Bill Shorten blocked it.”

Labor leader Bill Shorten said while it was clear Mr Turnbull had disagreements in his own party he shouldn’t “just bag everyone else”.

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