Tony Abbott’s sister says ‘there has been a change of leadership’ and the Liberal party should reconsider the best way to address marriage equality

Christine Forster, a Liberal councillor for the City of Sydney and the sister of the former prime minister Tony Abbott, has called on the government to reconsider its plebiscite on same-sex marriage and instead allow MPs a free vote.

On Friday Forster used Twitter to rebuke Abbott for telling a conservative Christian group in New York that traditional marriage should be passed on “undamaged” to the next generation.

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Forster told Guardian Australia that given the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, had said he would have preferred a free vote on same-sex marriage to the plebiscite announced under Abbott, the party should “have another look” at the best way to vote on the issue.

“It would be great if the party room would reconsider, and go back and have another debate,” Forster said.

“There has been a change of leadership and you know, it would be a really good thing if they could have another look at this. I would love to see them go and have another discussion.”

Forster said she shared the concerns of many people in same-sex relationships that they would be confronted with harmful messages from groups opposed to marriage equality in the lead-up to a plebiscite.

She was also concerned that children of same-sex couples would be exposed to “divisive and negative” advertising campaigns. This could be avoided by placing the vote in the hands of parliament, she said.

Forster said while she disagreed with Abbott’s speech to the Alliance Defending Freedom in New York, she was not hurt by his comments that people should “not ignore” the erosion of society he said would occur if same-sex marriage was allowed.

“Tony is not expressing anything different to what he’s said in the past, his views on the matter are well known, as are mine,” Forster said.

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“My belief is that allowing same-sex couples to marry would not in any way damage the institution of marriage, and it won’t make a difference to any heterosexual marriage in this country.

“What it will do is bring people closer together and allow those who already regard each other as family to get the same acknowledgment that heterosexual couples get. It would give children of same-sex couples the recognition that their parents are able to be married just like everyone else.”

She said the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US last year was evidence that it was “nothing but positive” for society.