Tony Abbott cautions ministers of consequences of disunity

Prime Minister Tony Abbott cautioned his ministers of consequences of disunity, which might affect the government’s chances of re-election. During a Coalition joint party room meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister stressed the importance of cabinet discipline while he read out the riot act to the Coalition party room.

The issue of same-sex marriage has surfaced as a point of differences in opinion among the cabinet ministers, causing considerable damage to the government’s standing in the polls. Labor has been gaining ground against the Coalition in polls for the past 16 months and the recent split over same-sex marriage has damaged it further.

The Canning by-elections, which will be held on September 19 to elect a new incumbent for the post left vacant by the demise of sitting Liberal MP Don Randall, would indicate the pulse of the voters. Mr Abbott said that a remarkable candidate for the post, former SAS soldier Andrew Hastie, has been pre-selected by the Liberals. A recent Newspoll suggested Hastie has fair chances of winning the seat, which is held by 11.8 percent by the party.

The prime minister told the cabinet on Monday and the Coalition party room on Tuesday that the ministers as well as the party backbenchers should maintain discipline and tow the party line for the sake of their colleagues, especially the MPs who are holding marginal seats.

“The onus is on all of us but we owe a particular duty to marginal seat holders not to let you down,” Mr Abbott said.

According to Ann Sudmalis, who is holding the marginal NSW seat of Gilmore, the debate over same-sex marriage and the disagreement among the MPs over a national referendum are not benefitting MPs like her in any way.

According to AAP, Opposition leader Bill Shorten told his party members that Abbott’s leadership is under pressure. “They will be wondering whether it's time to give up on a captain's pick and instead pick a new captain,” he said.

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