A key federal senator blames hatred of the prime minister within the coalition party room for Malcolm Turnbull's "back-pedalling" on a deal to have a vote on voluntary euthanasia in both houses.
Senator David Leyonhjelm wants Mr Turnbull to honour his deal to guarantee a vote in both houses on legislation to lift a ban on the Northern Territory and ACT controlling their own euthanasia laws.
The Liberal Democrats senator said staff witnessed the deal which he says Mr Turnbull agreed to in return for his support for re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
"He wishes there wasn't a deal and he'd like to ignore that fact that we did a deal," Senator Leyonhjelm told ABC TV on Sunday night.
"He has a problem with his own party. There are conservatives within his party who basically, they hate the prime minister more than they hate the opposition for reasons best known to themselves.
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"They are looking for every opportunity to give him a hard time. He is very sensitive to that. They are social conservatives so he did not want to give them any ammunition."
