John Williams also rebukes Christopher Pyne over his claims marriage equality may come sooner than expected: ‘He shouldn’t say those things’

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

National party senator John Williams has warned the Liberal party that a plebiscite on marriage equality is part of the Coalition agreement, signed by Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce.

The agreement was signed when Turnbull took the leadership from Tony Abbott in September 2015 and Williams said it was part of the deal for National party support.

“I know that it is in the Coalition agreement, a signed agreement between Nats and Liberals by Barnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull,” Williams said.

The Coalition agreement is signed by every incoming Liberal and National party leader. In the last agreement, Turnbull agreed for the water portfolio to go back to the agriculture portfolio with Joyce as minister, which happened immediately. The agreement also states there will be no policy move to a carbon price and no change to the definition of marriage without a plebiscite.

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Williams chastised the defence industry minister and leader of the government, Christopher Pyne, for telling his moderate Liberal colleagues that marriage equality might be resolved “sooner than you think”, a boast soon scotched by Turnbull.

Williams said if the Nick Xenophon team or Labor had supported the plebiscite, the issue of same-sex marriage could have been resolved by now.

“But instead these issues keep bubbling along and get so much media attention and Chris Pyne shouldn’t say those things,” Williams said.

He was worried the ongoing Liberal division would risk marginal seat holders such as fellow National MP Michelle Landry in Capricornia in Queensland. Landry holds the seat by a margin of just 0.8% and Williams said her seat creates the one-seat majority that keeps the Coalition in power.

“I’m annoyed with the Liberals because everyone knows division is death and they are so divided every time Tony Abbott makes a statement publicly,” he said.

“We need to concentrate on their job, which is to work for betterment of all Australia.”

Williams reminded Abbott that Coalition MPs had been team players when he was prime minister but he would not give advice about whether Abbott should leave parliament after the Guardian Essential poll found 43% thought Abbott should resign.

“I think what Tony needs to do is just simply be more of a team player, as we were with Tony when he was prime minister,” Williams told ABC earlier.

“I certainly was. We had a couple of disagreements on the odd occasion but I think Tony needs to just fit into the team and be a team player. What he does in the future is his decision.”

He said the continual division made it impossible for the government to talk about its positive messages such as budget commitments on inland rail, roads and education.

“These things can’t get any light of day because of this division,” Williams said.