Noel Pearson accused Peter Dutton of 'preparing the grave' to bury the Uluru Statement, after Liberals reject Voice proposal

Noel Pearson says Peter Dutton is behaving like an undertaker preparing the grave to bury the Voice. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)

One of Australia's most prominent Indigenous leaders, Noel Pearson, has accused Liberal leader Peter Dutton of rejecting the Voice to Parliament for his own political gain, after the federal party determined to go against its state colleagues and campaign against the Voice in a referendum.

Mr Pearson, who sits on the government's referendum working group and was an architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, said he had a sleepless night after the Liberal Party's decision.