Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been forced to hose down speculation of a major political about-face after one of his ministers suggested legalising same-sex marriage could happen "sooner than everyone thinks".
Turnbull's intervention came after leaked audio of Christopher Pyne discussing the issue with moderate Liberal allies on Friday was made public. "One of those [things] we've got to deliver before too long is marriage equality," Pyne said in the audio. "And your friends in Canberra are working on that outcome. It might even be sooner than everyone thinks."
Turnbull insisted his Government would not be dumping its plan for a plebiscite on same-sex marriage. "Our policy is clear, we have no plans to change it, full stop. That is the policy that we took to the election and we are sticking to it."
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who devised the plebiscite plan, had fanned the flames..
"This is one of the reasons people turn off politicians, because we don't tell them what we think, and it looks like one of our number has been caught out," he told 2GB radio. "You've got to be fair dinkum with the Australian people and it looks like that's not been true of Christopher ... To dump the plebiscite ... would be a breach of faith with the people".
