Country Liberal Party (CLP) senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has denied the Northern Territory conservative party is fractured over the upcoming referendum, after its president sensationally quit on Monday.
Lawson Broad walked away from the CLP yesterday, labelling the rank-and-file's recent vote opposing the Indigenous Voice to Parliament as "offensive" to Indigenous Territorians and able to be interpreted as racist.
The resignation comes only five days ahead of a by-election in the marginal territory seat of Arafura.
Senator Price told the ABC Mr Broad did not attend the CLP's Central Council meeting last month, when party members voted to endorse the No campaign.
The vote put the rank-and-file at odds with the CLP's parliamentary team, led by Lia Finocchiaro, who has indicated she supports the Voice to Parliament in principle but has requested more detail.
Ms Finocchiaro said on ABC Radio Darwin on Monday there was "no schism" within the party.
Senator Price said she respected Mr Broad's decision to resign and also denied the CLP was split.
"I don't think our party is fragmented. If anything, I think especially after the last Central Council, I think we've taken a unified position as a party that we're all on the same page," she said.
"I'm proud that the CLP is standing up for a Northern Territory that isn't divided along the lines of race."
Senator Price is one of the country's most vocal No campaigners, arguing a First Nations Voice to Parliament is not a practical measure and will do little to address Indigenous disadvantage.
She was instrumental in leading the federal Nationals to oppose the Voice last year.
Senator Price said the parliamentary wing of the party, led by Ms Finocchiaro, would "have to come to that conclusion themselves" when asked if she thought they should adopt the position supported by members.
"For me, I like to be able to ensure that I'm expressing the values of the party going forward," she said.
Former CLP figure says party's stance 'illogical'
On Monday afternoon the CLP announced that acting president Sean Heenan would be continuing in the role.
A statement said the party remained "fully focused" on the Arafura by-election, with remote voting well underway and polls to close at 6pm Saturday.
Central Australian independent Robyn Lambley, who was a CLP member until 2015, said the party had been successfully wedged by Territory Labor, which has publicly backed the Voice proposal.
"[The party's position] is silly and illogical, because we don't even know what the Voice even is yet," she said.
"For this issue to do exactly what Labor intended it to do, and that's to create a wedge ... is really disappointing."
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles told parliament last month she believed Arafura voters would be "very interested" in hearing the CLP's position on the issue, before forcing a vote on a motion in support of the Voice.
Ms Lambley has previously indicated she supported an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in principle.
"[The CLP] is lacking political foresight … they're not reading the room," she said.
Labor retained Arafura at the last election with 53 per cent of the vote in two-party preferred terms.
Most voters in the electorate are Aboriginal, with the seat taking in the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin as well as west Arnhem Land communities including Gunbalanya and Maningrida.
Saturday's result will not affect Labor's majority in parliament, where it currently holds 14 out of 25 seats.
