Minister asks MPs to keep comments to party room and calls on Andrew Broad to stay in the fold following his threat to resign if plebiscite promise broken

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Peter Dutton has acknowledged members have “strong feelings” on same-sex marriage but urged them to keep comments to the party room as the Coalition government tries to contain the divisive issue.

The immigration minister also called on Andrew Broad to weigh up his important part in the Coalition after reports that the National party MP was considering resigning from the party to sit on the crossbenches if the government broke its promise to hold a plebiscite on marriage equality.

At the same time, Malcolm Turnbull has stated that the debate on the Coalition’s policy on marriage would be held in the joint party room.

Longtime marriage campaigner Warren Entsch called for a Liberal party room discussion, claiming he was ambushed by Tony Abbott during the 2015 marathon party room debate when the former prime minister insisted more conservative National MPs take part.

Tony Abbott: Coalition should take same-sex marriage plebiscite to next election Read more

“We have many discussions in our respective party rooms, in the National party room, the Liberal party room, but, of course, ultimately Coalition policy is determined in the Coalition party room,” Turnbull said.

Dutton tried to calm both supporters and opponents of marriage equality on Thursday.

“My plea would be to people, it’s an emotional area, people have strong feelings on this topic and that’s obvious,” Dutton told 2GB.

“We need to have a discussion next week which no doubt will take place in the party room on Tuesday and frankly until then people – if they possibly can – might keep their comments and their views until next Tuesday.”

The National party meets on Friday and Liberals on Monday before the joint party room comes together on Tuesday morning when parliament returns after the winter break.

The issue of marriage equality is front and centre after the Liberal senator Dean Smith flagged his bill to reform the Marriage Act, creating pressure from supporters and opponents on whether the Coalition MPs should have a conscience vote.

Tony Abbott has urged Coalition members to honour the election promise to hold a plebiscite, while breaking his promise to the party room that the previous parliament would be the last term in which the Coalition could be bound to a policy. On Wednesday, Abbott said the Liberal party should take a plebiscite policy to the next federal election – a move which would bind Coalition members for another term.

Broad, who has previously threatened the Coalition that his support is conditional on the plebiscite, would not comment on reports that he could quit the government benches over the issue.

If Broad went ahead with the move, the Turnbull government would lose its one-seat majority and tie the numbers in the lower house, making it more difficult to pass legislation.

Dutton did not deny the reports and sought to calm Broad on the issue.

“Andrew Broad is a good bloke, he doesn’t want Bill Shorten to become prime minister, he is a very important part of the National party and the Coalition so I am sure he will weigh all of that up,” Dutton said.



Entsch said he had no issue with Broad following voting as he sees fit.



“If that’s how he feels about it I’ve got no issue on it,” Entsch told Sky. “If he feels that’s what he wants to do I’m not going to tell him how to vote.

“I just want to have a vote in the parliament. That is what I am elected to do.”

Since the Coalition’s plebiscite bill was blocked, supporters of marriage equality have pushed harder for a free vote while opponents have insisted the Coalition could not break an election promise.

Marriage equality in Australia: key survey charts radical 10-year shift to majority support Read more

In the last month, both Dutton and the National senator Barry O’Sullivan have supported the notion of a postal plebiscite, where those on the electoral roll would be sent voluntary ballots.



But supporters of marriage equality say it would be unfair on younger voters who are less likely to be enrolled as well as remote Indigenous communities and Turnbull himself argued against the strategy during his leadership of the republican campaign.

In a 1997 opinion piece in the Australian, dug up by Crikey on Wednesday, Turnbull said a postal ballot “flies in the face of Australian democratic values”.

Dutton would not comment on his latest views on Thursday.

“The options are known to the government, the policy the government took to the election is well known and this is an issue to be dealt with next week when parliament goes back,” Dutton said.

Labor has promised a free vote in the parliament in its first 100 days if it comes into office. Bill Shorten urged the Liberal party to get on with it.

“Marriage equality and the division within the government is just a symptom of a bigger problem,” Shorten said.

“Right across the whole of Australia, across a range of industries, what we are seeing is a prime minister who either won’t lead or can’t lead. What this nation needs is not more political infighting. It needs leadership.”