The Liberal Party has announced its formal opposition to the federal government's model for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, after a party room meeting in Canberra.
Australians will vote later this year on whether an independent advisory body for First Nations people should be enshrined in the constitution.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said while the Opposition supported recognition of First Nations people in the constitution, it does not support a constitutionally enshrined consultative body.
"The Liberal Party resolved today to say yes to constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians," he said.
But Mr Dutton said the party had issued a "no" to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government's proposal.
"It should be very clear to Australians by now that the prime minister is dividing the country and the Liberal Party seeks to unite the country," he said.
"We went to the last election with local and regional voices, that is essentially the policy we continue on with, it has been well worked through."
Labor went to the election promising it would hold a referendum on constitutional recognition and enshrining a Voice to Parliament in its first term if it won.
A Voice to Parliament was put forward by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders and community members through the Uluru Statement From the Heart in 2017.
The statement itself was the product of a number of regional dialogues around the country with local First Nations people about what kind of recognition they would like to see.
One Liberal MP, Tasmanian Bridget Archer, confirmed she did not agree with the party's position and cross the floor to support the Voice.
Senator Andrew Bragg also said he would maintained "an open mind on the Voice as a long term supporter".
Mr Dutton said he believed three or four backbenchers would advocate a different position to the rest of the Liberal Party.
'This is not about politicians'
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said the Liberal Party, and Mr Dutton's, decision was about politics and their position was "about as clear as mud".
"Mr Dutton's criticism is predictable, but despite his obsession … with the prime minister, this is not about politicians," she said.
"This is about closing the gap, our guiding principle in this debate has been the Uluru Statement From the Heart.
"[Which was] a generous request from First Nations leaders to the Australian people to walk together to a better future."
Ms Burney said the opposition leader had met with the prime minister seven times and had not suggested changes to the constitutional amendment that would create the Voice.
"If Mr Dutton supported the Voice he would have supported [former Indigenous affairs minister] Ken Wyatt's proposal in the Morrison government and he didn't," she said.
Ms Burney also said the Labor government supported regional voices and that the national Voice would make sure the views of remote and regional communities would be heard.
She pointed to jurisdictions like South Australia, which had already introduced their own legislation to create a state-based version of the Voice.
Mr Albanese echoed Ms Burney's comments, saying the proposal from the Voice had come from "the ground up" from First Nations communities.
"Today, what we saw was no progress at all, just, frankly, a pretty inadequate statement about the 'Canberra' process … it's a pretty cheap shot," he said.
"It diminishes the extraordinary amount of work done by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and others involved in the process as well."
The prime minister again criticised the opposition for not putting forward any suggestions during the drafting of the wording and the process to this point.
Mr Albanese also disputed the issues some Liberal MPs, including Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser, have with the second clause in the suggested amendment to the constitution.
The suggested addition would be:
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
- 1.There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
- 2.The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
- 3.The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.
The prime minister said allowing the Voice to make representations to the parliament and executive government was the same wording used in proposals put forward under the Coalition's time in government, including in proposals that Mr Leeser worked on.
He said the clause should be uncontroversial.
Voice will not lead to change
Mr Dutton said one of the main reasons behind the decision not to back the referendum was that the party did not believe it would lead to meaningful change for Indigenous Australians.
"Creating another national body out of Canberra as the prime minister is proposing … it doesn't unite, and it will not deliver the outcomes on the ground," he said.
"Our proposal is to have a local and regional voice to listen to local elders who live in the community and listen to what will make a practical outcome in terms of maternal health, a restoration of law and order, a reduction in domestic violence."
Mr Dutton said local and regional voices were one of the recommendations of a report by Marcia Langton and Tom Calma into how an advisory body would work, which also recommended a national voice as well.
Ms Langton is a firm supporter of the Albanese government's Voice proposal.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley denied the position was a "no" from the Liberal Party, instead saying it was a "day of many yesses".
"Yes to local and regional voices, yes to better outcomes for Indigenous Australians," she said.
Ms Ley also criticised Mr Albanese, accusing him of pursuing an approach that did not allow for compromise.
"I stand here today disappointed with the prime minister, disappointed with his approach, it's his timeline, it's his question and his refusal to meet anyone else halfway on anything, it's breathtaking in its arrogance," she said.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud said he was not surprised the Liberals had reached the same position as his party.
The Liberal Party will push for changes to the government's referendum legislation in parliament and some backbenchers may ultimately support the Voice.
Liberal MPs have told the ABC the proposal to have the Voice advise executive government, as well as parliament, is a key reason for the party opposing it.
