Dutton stands by embattled vice-president

Ms McQueen told a conservative conference last weekend it was good her party's federal election loss meant "a lot of those lefties are gone".

"We should rejoice in that ... people I've been trying to get rid of for a decade have gone," she said.

Her comments were branded offensive and disloyal by senior Liberal senator Simon Birmingham who called for her resignation.

Mr Dutton said he didn't agree with the comments and had spoken to Ms McQueen about them, but wouldn't call for her to go.

"She has expressed a view, she has made a mistake. I've made it clear it won't happen again," he said.

"There is a desire here to win the next election. We will only do that with discipline.

"We want people from diverse backgrounds, we want seats across the country."

Mr Dutton wouldn't comment on whether the vice-president offered an apology for the comments.

"I'm not going into internal matters beyond that," he said when asked.

"It won't be said again."

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said the party didn't need to engage in a civil war between conservatives and progressives.

"What we need to do is get back to our core liberal values," he told Sky News.

Australian Associated Press