CANBERRA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Senators and MPs from the National Party - which makes up one half of Australia's coalition government - Tuesday said they're "sick" of infighting between Liberal Party colleagues, saying the rift would give "(Opposition Leader) Bill Shorten a free ride" into the top job at the next election.
After weeks of bickering within the government, which began after moderate Liberal MP Christopher Pyne angered conservative colleagues in saying that same-sex marriage would be introduced in Australia "sooner than everyone thinks," Nationals representatives said they've had enough, calling for unity.
On Tuesday, Nationals Senator John Williams told News Corp that a war of words between current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott would lead to a landslide Labor win at the next election.
"I am disgusted by what's going on. We're elected to run the country and do the best for the people in our country," Williams said.
"I've had a gutful of this infighting in the Liberal Party. I just had a week away on a parliamentary tour to the Pacific and all I read in the newspapers online was infighting in the Libs and the Greens."
He later said to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio that "It's very frustrating, it is very annoying and I'm just fed up with it."
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives' Deputy Speaker, National Party member Mark Coulton, said the achievements of the smaller of the coalition's two parties were being "overshadowed" by the bickering between those in the Liberal Party.
"I am pleased with the role the (Nationals) are playing and I am frustrated that our significant achievements are being overshadowed," Coulton told News Corp.
Williams has urged Tony Abbott - and other coalition conservatives to remain "on the same team," "as we were with Tony when he was Prime Minister."
