Malcolm Turnbull slammed by Cory Bernardi over gay marriage stance

ULTRA-conservative Senator Cory Bernardi has attacked Malcolm Turnbull over his views on same-sex marriage, revealing the deepening divide within the Coaltion on the issue.

THE bitter feud within the Coalition on gay marriage continues to heat up with South Australian Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi taking a swipe at his fellow Liberal Malcolm Turnbull.

Senator Bernardi took to Twitter this morning to point out Mr Turnbull’s changing views on same-sex marriage.

The ultra-conservative MP posted this quote from Mr Turnbull during, ironically, his appearance on the ABC’s Q & A program in July 2008.

“I believe and our party’s policy is that marriage is a permanent union between a man and a woman” Malcolm Turnbull https://t.co/xrlLZwuCNj

— Cory Bernardi (@corybernardi) July 7, 2015

Despite his hard line stance when he was Opposition Leader, Mr Turnbull has since changed his public comments, saying he now supports such unions.

“I, as an individual member with no more vote than any backbencher, would vote for it,” Mr Turnbull said of gay marriage in March.

He said there should be a “free vote” in the parliament on the issue when sittings return in August.

“There has been a sea change around the world; the trend is only going one way,” Mr Turnbull told the ABC shortly after the US decision to legalise same-sex marriage nationally.

But back when he led the Liberal party, Mr Turnbull’s views were very different.

Malcolm Turnbull (l) with Cory Bernardi (c) after Press Gallery vs. Federal politicians swimming relay race at Parliament House pool in Canberra in 2007.

Conservative South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi addresses the National Press Club in Canberra.

“I believe that marriage is a permanent union between a man and a woman. And so I do not disrespect unions between or relationships, partnerships — whatever you want to call it — between people of the same sex but it is not a marriage,” Mr Turnbull said during an interview with the ABC’s Jon Faine.

“Marriage is a permanent union between a man and a woman. That is the traditional view,” he said during another interview.

A massive split within the Coalition continues to widen between the left and the right of the party.

Several high profile ministers such as Mr Turnbull and Christopher Pyne are in support of gay marriage and a free vote while others are vehemently against it.

Senator Bernardi and Canberra senator Zed Seselja are among those rallying against any change to the marriage act.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce on Sunday said he was against any legalising of gay marriage and said that Asia may view us as “decadent” if we pushed ahead with such a change.