NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet does not know how a text message he sent to the Prime Minister about excluding transgender women from female sport became public, nor does he regret sending it.
Treasurer Matt Kean called for Liberal Warringah candidate Katherine Deves to be disendorsed on Tuesday, after a series of inflammatory social media posts were made public.
Ms Deves, a northern beaches lawyer, has since apologised for her comments, including calling transgender children "surgically mutilated" and likening her lobbying against transgender athletes in sport to standing up against the Holocaust.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison shot down criticism levelled at Ms Deves on Tuesday, saying he would not allow her to be "silenced" or "pushed aside".
On Monday, The Australian reported Mr Perrottet sent a message to Mr Morrison supporting the Prime Minister's stance on the issue.
Mr Perrottet on Wednesday said he did not know who leaked the message, but he did not regret sending it.
"As I said to Scott on the substantive nature of this issue, I agree with him. There may be others in my party who disagree, it doesn't matter," Mr Perrottet said.
"I've made it very clear that I believe girls should play sport against girls and women should play sport against women."
Mr Perrottet said he did not believe Mr Kean was "undermining" the Prime Minister in the lead up to the election, by sharing his opinion.
"Most fair-minded Australians will look at those issues on face value and make their own assessments," Mr Perrottet said.
"Matt has a view in relation to the candidate...and the way she's expressed those opinions..and I actually agree with Matt on that. We have a responsibility to bring people together and not divide.
"We should embrace a robust democracy in Australia (and celebrate that) people can agree to disagree on various issues."
On Tuesday Mr Kean said Ms Deves was "not fit for office".
"I do not believe she's fit for office. I do not believe that she is aligned with the values of the Liberal Party," he said.
Ms Deves apologised for the "language" she used in the social media posts.
"In my dedication to fighting for the rights of women and girls, my language has on occasion been unacceptable. It has hurt people and detracted from my arguments," Ms Deves said in a statement.
On Wednesday the Prime Minister reiterated his comments that Ms Deves had been insensitive and "stepped over a line" with her remarks.
But Mr Morrison said he would not allow Ms Deves to be "cancelled" by those who disagree with her.
"She's made a number of remarks in the past, and on a number of occasions, not in the majority, she's stepped over the line, and she's acknowledged that," he said.
"But what I won't allow, what I won't allow, is for those who are seeking to cancel Katherine simply because she has a different view to them on the issue of women and girls in sport.
"I'm not going to indulge that because you know in this country, I think Australians are getting pretty fed-up with having to walk on eggshells every day because they may or may not say something one day that's going to upset someone."
