CANBERRA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- One of the Australian government's most prominent cabinet ministers has extended an apology to his constituents, after leaked audio caught him speaking ill of his party's same-sex marriage policy late last week.
Defense Industry Minister and Leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, overnight apologized for comments which claimed that the "moderate" faction of the Liberal National Party (LNP) coalition government was "in the winner's circle" and that same-sex marriage would happen "sooner than everyone thinks" - hinting at a motion to allow MPs a free vote in Parliament.
The comments go against the party's policy of taking the issue to a plebiscite (or public vote) and angered conservatives within the coalition, while they've proved to be a thorn in the side of the government, which has been accused of being at war within itself.
In a speech to his constituents overnight, Pyne called on the government to move on from the infighting, talking up Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's ability to run a "tight-knit" government unit.
"I'm very sorry that my comments at an event last Friday have caused such a distraction for the government," Pyne said on Wednesday night.
"I apologize to anyone they have offended. My remarks were ill-chosen and unwise and I can see how unhelpful and damaging they have been.
"The truth is, (Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull runs a tight-knit, traditional cabinet government that is inclusive of all strands of thought across the party."
Pyne said he remained a committed member of the coalition and what it stands for, despite advocating the opposition Labor Party's stance on same-sex marriage.
