NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says it “doesn’t matter” that he has differing views to his treasurer after texts between himself and the PM regarding remarks made by Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves, were leaked to the media.

The private texts, between Perrottet and Morrison and first reported by The Australian, revealed the premier this week assured the PM he had his support when it comes to Deves and issues surrounding women’s sport.

Earlier this week, the PM backed Deves – saying he would be standing by her and would not allow her to be silenced. As regular readers of this blog will know, Deves has come under fire for past comments she has made about transgender people and the LGBTQ awareness-raising Wear it Purple Day.

Perrottet’s support of the PM puts him at odds with his NSW Treasurer Matt Kean, who yesterday led calls to disendorse Deves due to her controversial remarks.

“My position is very clear. I’ve made that today and, as I have said to Scott, on the substantial aspect – the substantive nature of this issue – I agree with him,” Perrottet told reporters today.

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“There may be others in my party who disagree. It doesn’t matter. I enjoy, as a liberal people, having different views on different issues.”

Deves has come under fierce internal criticism in recent days given her past online comments, which have since been deleted, invoked Nazism and the Stolen Generation. Deves runs a lobby group, Save Women’s Sport, which is opposed to the inclusion of trans women in women’s sport.

“Obviously from my position I’ve made that very clear that I believe girls should play sport against girls and women should play sport against women,” Perrottet said.

“But ... we in public, as politicians in the media, have an obligation in these areas of debate to participate in a way that is sensitive – particularly in areas that are incredibly delicate.”