Rebukes for Coalition same-sex marriage rebels

Coalition officials have moved to ­rebuke same-sex marriage advocates Warren Entsch, Trevor Evans and Tim Wilson.

Victorian Liberal MP Tim Wilson. Picture: Josie Hayden

Coalition officials in Queensland and Victoria have moved to ­rebuke same-sex marriage advocates Warren Entsch, Trevor Evans and Tim Wilson after the three MPs spoke out in favour of change, escalating a clash over the divisive reform.

Queensland’s Liberal National Party president Gary Spence issued a warning against Mr Evans and Mr Entsch late yesterday, saying he was disappointed that MPs elected under the party banner were defying the policy of holding a plebiscite to decide the definition of marriage.

“Over recent days the issue of same-sex marriage has again ­received extensive media coverage,’’ Mr Spence said. “Unfortunately, some elected members of the LNP have been contributors to the commentary by canvassing options to introduce a private member’s bill and to abandon a plebiscite in favour of a conscience vote by parliament.

“Let me say at the outset, the LNP’s position on changing the definition of marriage under the Marriage Act 1961 is perfectly clear — the LNP believes there should be no change to the ­definition.’’

A member of the Liberal Party’s Victorian division called for Mr Wilson to be censured by the executive for advocating a “betrayal” of Malcolm Turnbull’s election promise to hold a plebiscite. A letter circulated to members of the Victorian division’s administrative committee contains a veiled warning that MPs who threaten to cross the floor of parliament to force a free vote on the issue risk losing preselection. The email was circulated last night by administrative committee member Paul Mitchell.

“One of our federal MPs in Victoria, Tim Wilson, the member for Goldstein, has gone on the record and indicated that he is considering breaking the ­Coalition’s promise and election mandate to have a national plebiscite on the gay marriage issue and would consider crossing the floor to support gay marriage … I ask that administrative committee members, if they have discussions with Tim over the coming days, reiterate the importance of sticking to the Turnbull government’s election commitment and promise and mandate to hold a plebiscite on this issue.

“Further, a betrayal on this issue would be an affront to our conservative base and faith and ethnic communities, who know that the Liberal Party is the only party who is going to give them a say on this issue.”

Amid growing anger over the same-sex marriage split, the Nat­ionals are warning Malcolm Turnbull against giving ground to the Liberal rebels who want to dump his election pledge of a “people’s vote” on the issue.

The Nationals are demanding their Liberal colleagues hold the line on the policy or risk a rupture of the formal Coalition agreement that underpins the government, ramping up pressure on the Prime Minister.

Mr Entsch, a reform advocate, declared that “threats don’t work” and talk of “treachery” would only deepen the dispute. Mr Entsch and his allies will push for a decision within the ­Liberal Party on a conscience vote as soon as next week, shutting out the Nationals in a departure from Tony Abbott’s use of a joint meeting two years ago to decide the policy.

“Threats don’t work,” Mr Entsch told The Australian. “You need to be careful when making threats because threats have to be followed through. Tony Abbott ambushed me last time and he should never have done that. This should go to the Liberal partyroom. At the end of the day if the National Party doesn’t want a free vote they don’t have to have a free vote — they are their own party, they can vote the way they want.”

Queensland MP George Christensen, who sits with the Nat­ionals in federal parliament, agreed that any Liberal decision to drop the plebiscite would breach the Coalition agreement between Mr Turnbull and the Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce.

The Australian understands the policy is not in the text of the formal agreement but is spelt out in a side letter, although the Coalition has never released the text.

Mr Christensen denied that his decision to cross the floor in June to vote against the government on penalty rates set up a precedent for the Liberals who might do the same on the Marriage Act, arguing there was no election promise on penalty rates.

Conservatives are confident they have the numbers in the Liberal partyroom to see off the challenge, raising the question of whether the reform advocates would vote against the government to force the changes through the parliament.

Liberal MP Jason Wood, who argues for a conscience vote, said he would not support a procedural vote needed in the lower house to trigger a debate on the Marriage Act over the government’s ­objections. When The Australian asked Mr Entsch if he would vote for a suspension of standing orders, he said: “The bill hasn’t surfaced yet. We’ll have that discussion then.”

Mr Evans, Mr Wilson and NSW MP Trent Zimmerman have backed the case for same-sex marriage but have not said they would vote against the ­government on its control of the parliament.

Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who both oppose same-sex marriage, have championed a postal plebiscite after enabling government legislation for a plebiscite was defeated in the Senate by Labor and the Greens.

Mr Spence said MPs should support the postal plebiscite.

Labor equality spokeswoman Terri Butler said Mr Spence’s letter was “particularly galling” after Mr Turnbull declared on Monday that Liberals could vote with their conscience but that Labor took an “authoritarian” approach.

Mr Turnbull avoided answering questions about whether the government would pursue a postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage.