Liberal MPs are pressing Malcolm Turnbull to strip Christopher Pyne of his position as Leader of the House.

Senior Liberals have told 7.30 the Cabinet minister's comments to fellow Liberal moderates on the sidelines of the Liberal Party Federal Council have triggered enormous anger across the party.

The view of one minister is that Mr Pyne's comments could be the "straw that breaks the camel's back" when it comes to his position in the House of Representatives.

In secretly recorded comments that were leaked to conservative columnist Andrew Bolt, Mr Pyne boasted of the ascendancy of the moderate faction in the Liberal Party and suggested a move to legalise same-sex marriage might be hastened.

"Friends, we are in the winner's circle but we have to deliver a couple of things and one of those we've got to deliver before too long is marriage equality in this country," he was recorded telling about 200 Liberals gathered in Sydney's Cherry Bar.

"We're going to get it. I think it might even be sooner than everyone thinks. And your friends in Canberra are working on that outcome."

It has since emerged that WA Liberal Dean Smith and NSW Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman have been drafting a private members bill to legalise same-sex marriage.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has accused Mr Pyne of disloyalty. Mr Pyne said in the recordings he and fellow moderate George Brandis had voted for Mr Turnbull at every leadership ballot.

"George and I kept the faith," he said.

One Liberal said fury about Mr Pyne was widespread.

"It's not about gay marriage, it's not about Tony Abbott, this is about what the Liberal Party stands for," the MP said.

"We are a party of [Edmund] Burke and [John Stuart] Mill, we are a party that respects foundational institutions and the freedom of the individual and the expressions of the individual.

"So when Christopher says 'the lefties are in control, we have won', you are in direct conflict with this basic foundational principles of the Liberal Party that Menzies and Howard spoke of."

Another Liberal said getting the correct balance between conservatism and liberalism in the Liberal Party was critical and that Mr Pyne had offended the party's binding philosophy.

A minister told the ABC that Mr Pyne, who is Defence Industry Minister, should be replaced as Leader of the House, perhaps by Peter Dutton.

Another MP agreed, saying Mr Pyne had secured $90 billion in Defence spending for his state, only to see the Liberal Party lose representation in South Australia at the last election and record a 29 per cent primary vote for the Coalition, according to the latest state-by-state breakdown of Newspoll.

There is already wide expectation there will be a Cabinet reshuffle later in the year, with Attorney-General Brandis expected to take an overseas posting.

'Jungle drums' beating with Pyne's position being questioned

One Liberal said Mr Pyne's "sin" was speaking so indiscreetly in Sydney, where the New South Wales division is in such internal uproar.

The conservatives have more members in NSW but a split in the right has seen the left wrest control of the division.

The right wants one-vote-one-value, which would favour their faction — explaining why Mr Abbott is so vocal about party reform.

"What I am most concerned about right now, as well as being a local member, is try to ensure that the Liberal Party belongs to its members, not to factional warlords, particularly factional warlords of the Left," Mr Abbott told 2GB on Monday.

Sorry, this video has expired Tony Abbott told radio 2GB Christopher Pyne hadn't been "fair dinkum" with Australians

One supporter of Mr Turnbull said he needed to dump Mr Pyne as Leader of the House to reassert control of the Government and to defuse tension.

"There's a jungle drum and the reality is that Christopher does not run this Government, the Prime Minister does, but Pyne has undermined the PM and the Government," the Liberal said.

There is apparently widespread anger in the Liberal Party over Mr Pyne's remarks. ( AAP: Stefan Postles )

Mr Turnbull on Tuesday reaffirmed there would be no change to the Government's position on same-sex marriage.

"Look, the Government's position is very clear and I have answered this question frequently in the last 24 hours or so," he said.

"Our policy, which we took to the election, is there should be a plebiscite in which all Australians have the right to vote about the issue of same-sex marriage."

Mr Pyne told Q&A it was no secret he favoured same-sex marriage.

"I've said for many years that I want marriage equality in Australia. I've campaigned for it," he said.

"I spoke to a group of supporters, generally, of marriage equality on Friday night, and told them what I've said many times before in the media, which is to have hope that there will be marriage equality in Australia, that it will come eventually.

"The only thing that's made that statement remarkable is that there's apparently a 'secret leaked tape' which has excited the press and turned it into a sensational story."