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The Citipointe Christian College principal has stood down following the backlash over an enrolment contract condemning gender diverse and homosexual students issued by the school.

Principal Pastor Brian Mulheran issued a statement to parents on Friday night saying he had decided to "stand aside and take extended leave in order to reflect on what has transpired and provide the College community time to heal".

"Our intention was only to offer families a choice about how their children are educated, and to be open and transparent about our religious ethos that guides the way we teach and care for students," the statement said.

READ MORE: Former student speaks out about Citipointe Christian College

https://twitter.com/JoshBavas/status/1489572662070300672

"I am heartbroken that, by doing so, our college, and our community have suffered so much."

"I have been devastated talking to our students who have suffered hurtful and hate-filled verbal assaults simply because of their beliefs or for attending the college."

Mr Mulheran apologised for discriminating against students through the enrolment contract.

"I am sorry that some students felt that they may be being discriminated against at Citipointe," he said.

"We would never discriminate against any student on the basis of their sexuality or gender identity."

READ MORE: Deputy PM says he offered his resignation following leaked texts

The Head of Primary, Ruth Gravestein, will step into the role of Acting Principal.

It comes after the school earlier this week revoked the enrolment contract after severe backlash including an online petition protesting the contract which attracted more than 154,000 signatures.

The school said families would no longer be asked to sign and agree to the contract in order for their child to be enrolled in the college.

"We deeply regret that some students feel that they would be discriminated against because of their sexuality or gender identity, and I apologise to them and their families on behalf of the College," Mr Mulheran said on Thursday.

READ MORE: Young Australians urged to take a gap year in the regions

"The College does not and will not discriminate against any student because of their sexuality or gender identity. It is central to our faith that being gay or transgender in no way diminishes a person's humanity or dignity in God's eyes."

Former students and parents responded to the school's decision to revoke the enrolment contract, stating the damage had already been done.

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The Deputy Prime Minister said he offered his resignation following the text message leak calling the Prime Minister a "hypocrite and a liar", but Scott Morrison did not accept it.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Barnaby Joyce said he "should never have written the texts".

"When it came to light a couple of days ago, I rang the prime minister immediately," he said.

"I offered my resignation and he did not accept my resignation."

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"That, in itself, is a statement of a person of greater character."

However, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said it was untenable for Mr Joyce to continue as Deputy Prime Minister.

"This isn't a government. It's a shambles full of dysfunction and disunity," he said.

"It's a shambles which isn't looking after the interests of Australians because they are obsessed by their internal hatreds and dysfunctions."

Mr Albanese questioned Mr Joyce's claim his opinion on Mr Morrison had changed since the text message was sent.

"That was after Barnaby Joyce had served in the cabinet for over half a decade alongside Scott Morrison," he said.

"The idea that this was just a flippant remark is simply untenable."

Mr Joyce once again apologised to the Prime Minister this morning for the texts.

"I don't blame anybody but myself, but I never expected it to end up in the public realm," he said.

Mr Joyce said his view from the backbench was one of "assumption and commentary, not from a one-on-one working relationship" which has since changed while working with Mr Morrison.

Mr Morrison published a statement this morning saying: "Barnaby approached me this week to inform me of these text messages."

"He sincerely apologised and I immediately accepted his apology in good faith."

"I understand Barnaby was in a different headspace last year, both professionally and personally, and so I know he genuinely no longer feels this way."

"Relationships change over time. Politicians are human beings too. We all have our frailties and none of us are perfect."

"Since coming to the role of DPM, it is fair to say that we both positively surprised each other. We were never close before this and never pretended to be."

"But in these roles we have really found our rhythm, as we have concluded AUKUS, settled our climate change policy and continued to fight the pandemic."

It comes as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported last night that Mr Joyce was on the backbench when he sent the text to Brittany Higgins via an unnamed third party on March 22, 2021.

READ MORE: Victoria records 41 deaths while NSW reports drop in COVID-19 cases

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal Party staff member, leaked Mr Joyce's message after the Deputy Prime Minister this week called for an anonymous Liberal minister to reveal themselves after their scathing criticisms of Mr Morrison in private texts with former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian were made public.

The SMH and The Age report that the message to Ms Higgins from Mr Joyce stated: "Tell BH [Brittany Higgins] I and Scott, he is Scott to me until I have to recognise his office, don't get along.

"He is a hypocrite and a liar from my observations and that is over a long time.

"I have never trusted him and I dislike how he earnestly rearranges the truth to a lie."

Mr Joyce said on Friday night that he had "unreservedly apologised" to Mr Morrison and that it was "common knowledge" the pair had not always "seen eye to eye".

"In the last 24 hours I have become aware that a screenshot of a text message has been circulating among third-parties that contains comments I made in March 2021 when I was a backbencher," Mr Joyce said in a statement.

"While the text message was supposed to be private, what I said in that message was wrong; and I have unreservedly apologised to the Prime Minister for my comments.

"It is common knowledge that in the past the Prime Minister and I had not always seen eye to eye.

"But I have worked extremely closely with the Prime Minister over the last seven months since I returned to the role of Deputy Prime Minister; and the Prime Minister is a person of high integrity and honesty in what is possibly the most difficult job in the nation."

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The leaked Mr Joyce text message comes after journalist Peter van Onselen put to Mr Morrison during the Press Club lunch on Monday details from a private text message chat between Ms Berejiklian and the unnamed current Liberal cabinet minister during which the Prime Minister was described as "a horrible, horrible person", a "fraud" and "a complete psycho".

Mr Joyce said the following day that the unnamed minister should come forward.

"I would suggest that if you know anything about this, don't wait to be outed, out yourself," he said. "And give an explanation."

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