Prime Minister Tony Abbott has given a dressing down to his cabinet colleagues over the recent public disunity over the timetable for a same sex marriage vote.
Mr Abbott told a joint party room meeting on Tuesday that all MPs needed to be more "disciplined" from the cabinet down.
His comments follow public division within his cabinet over the issue of a free vote on marriage equality, as well as the potential dates for a future public vote.
Mr Abbott has ruled out a public vote being held alongside the next federal election and colleagues such as Malcolm Turnbull want to see a plebiscite held soon.
Mr Turnbull used a blog post on Sunday to express his preference for an early vote , saying it “would be better if same sex marriage were not a contentious issue at the next election”.
“The Prime Minister has indicated a disposition to have this considered after the next election,” he said.
“I have expressed the view a plebiscite should be before the next election. This is more a matter of political timing as opposed to political principle and I recognise others would have a different view.”
Mr Abbott said on Tuesday he would take to cabinet a proposal on how to put the issue of same-sex marriage to a national vote “soon”, urging politicians to be more focused on the issues that matter.
One coalition MP told the meeting more “collegiality” was needed, while another called for better communication between ministers and the backbench.
The split comes as the coalition trails Labor in the polls in the lead up to a September 19 by-election in the federal seat of Canning.
A Newspoll, the first since the death of their Liberal MP Don Randall in July, reveals the coalition's hefty 11.8 per cent margin in the West Australian seat has almost evaporated.
On a two-party preferred basis the Liberal Party leads Labor 51-49 per cent, raising fears it could be the first seat a government has lost at a by-election since 2001.
Mr Abbott said the party had pre-selected an outstanding candidate for Canning, but the drop in the polls has sparked leadership rumblings.
Parliamentary secretary Steve Ciobo dismissed leadership talk as a side issue.
"In politics there's always chatter around the place," he told Sky News.
"There are always conversations."
Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg played down reports of leadership chatter, ahead of the Canning by-election next month.
"Governments always tend to have a swing against them in by-elections," he told ABC TV.
"I think Tony Abbott will retain the prime ministership and lead us to victory at the next election."
Mr Abbott survived a move to call a spill of the party leadership in February, moved by Luke Simpkins who said MPs had to “test the support of the leadership in the party room”.
“We are not the Labor Party and we are not going to repeat the chaos and the instability of the Labor years,” he said.
“I have spoken to deputy leader Julie Bishop and we will stand together.”
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