One of Australia's most prominent Indigenous voices has offered a scathing assessment of "kindergarten kid" David Littleproud, accusing the Nationals leader of backflipping on support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament being written into the constitution.
Mr Pearson, who served as a member of the expert panel on constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, said the Nationals were previously supportive of the Voice in his conversations with them.
He accused Mr Littleproud of "capitulating" to newly-elected senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price — a vocal opponent of the body.
"I am very surprised, because I have spoken to almost every National senator and MP over recent years, and of all the political parties the Nationals were the most supportive of the Voice," Mr Pearson said.
"It’s obviously Jacinta Price’s entry into the parliament that has turned everything around, but it is also this leader, this supposed leader Littleproud, little pride.
"He’s like a kindergarten kid, not a leader, the Nationals have foisted the mantle of leadership on a boy."
Senator Nampijinpa Price responded to Mr Pearson's comments this afternoon, saying she was "no stranger to attacks from angry men who claim to speak on behalf of Aboriginal Australia".
"It doesn’t take long for nasty to rear its ugly head," she said.
"Since yesterday’s announcement, my offices have been bombarded with calls in support of the Nationals position but also bombarded with threatening and abusive calls that the women in my office should not have to be subjected to.
"Research has shown that bullies only ever project onto others their own insecurities and failures, or in defence of a truth.
"So, it perplexes me that for some disturbing reason some ABC presenters foam at the mouth at the opportunity to pit Aboriginal people against each other and bullying is encouraged rather than called out.
"I don’t care for the absolute noise of bullies. I am here to contribute to practical and meaningful measures within my capacity as the Senator for the Northern Territory and I will continue to be the voice for the voiceless who expect nothing less of me."
Meanwhile, Andrew Gee has become the first federal Nationals MP to break ranks with his party, saying he was in flood-affected Eugowra yesterday when the party decided its opposition to the Voice, and he still supported it.
"There is still a heck of a lot of hard work to do," Mr Gee said.
"To achieve a Voice we’ll need that as well as goodwill, open minds and generosity of spirit."
Labor says Nationals made premature call
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says he hopes to win back the support of the Nationals for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, after the party stepped out yesterday to say it would oppose the body in a referendum.
Nationals leader David Littleproud this morning said his party had consulted widely and determined that enshrining the Voice into the constitution would not benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
"We genuinely looked at this — and it was a difficult decision for us to get to," Mr Littleproud said.
"But we went back to the core tenet. The core tenet was: Will this close the gap and continue to close the gap? And will this make sure, particularly for those in regional, rural and remote Australia, will this make sure that it closes the gap for them quicker?
"We felt that locking it into the constitution also locks in future generations if it's not successful."
Speaking for the first time since the Nationals decided to oppose the Voice, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said in Question Time she was lucky to be in parliament and have a voice, but others did not.
"Not everyone can have their voice heard, and that is why we need a Voice," Ms Burney said.
"The Australian people will decide this referendum, not politicians, and I have faith in the Australian people."
Mr Dreyfus said the Nationals have made a decision before the referendum campaign has even begun, and that he hoped it would not be their final position.
"I think it's very disappointing to hear one of the major parties in Australia deciding before really the campaign has even started," Mr Dreyfus said.
"They can still change their minds. We will be hoping they will."
However, Mr Dreyfus said, the Nationals' move to oppose did not deal the referendum a "death blow".
"I don't think that's the end of the matter. We haven't started the campaign yet. We haven't even got to a stage where people are familiar with what's needed to change the constitution," Mr Dreyfus said.
He denied that a lack of detail led to the Nationals opposing the Voice.
"The prime minister gave the clearest possible description of what's needed, it's a short question … and some short sentences to go into the constitution," Mr Dreyfus said.
From the Heart director Dean Parkin said work on a model for the Voice was still being done, and that the Liberals were taking a "sensible position" by waiting for more information, but that the Nationals had made a premature call.
"The Liberal Party position is the same as what it was announced at the election. And we think that's a sensible position, that there needs to be more information. Put that in stark contrast to the decision today by the Nationals, which just jumps ahead of any of that detail being presented," Mr Parkin said.
Labor has promised to hold the referendum in the next financial year.
The only successful referendums in Australian history have had bipartisan support.
