South Australia's Liberal opposition is set to oppose laws that would create a First Nations Voice to the state's parliament.
The bill — which was introduced by the Labor Government to the upper house earlier this month — would allow Indigenous people to vote for representatives, who could directly address parliament, cabinet and department chief executives.
It has won the support of The Greens, which means it is likely to pass, no matter which way Liberal MPs vote.
However, Shadow Attorney-General and Aboriginal Affairs spokesman Josh Teague said the party had resolved to oppose the Voice because the bill was "rushed" and "defective".
"The state government's proposed legislation is rushed, impractical and in isolation will do nothing to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people," he said.
Under former premier Steven Marshall, the Liberals had themselves put forward an alternative Indigenous voice proposal, but Mr Teague said the party was opposed to the current bill as "presently set out" for "reasons both of process and substance".
"This has been a bill that has been in some ways a long time coming," he told ABC Radio Adelaide's Stacey Lee and Nikolai Beilharz.
"But [it] has been provided to not just us but Indigenous communities, leading groups around the state, at very little notice and with an objective — we understand from the government — to now move it through the Legislative Council at really breakneck speed this week."
While the bill — which has the support of the South Australian Greens — is set to pass parliament without Liberal support, the development comes a day ahead of the launch of the Yes Campaign for the federal Voice to Parliament.
Mr Teague said the state legislation would "essentially create a third chamber of parliament" — a claim vehemently rejected by the government.
"It does not in any way, shape or form create a third chamber of parliament," Attorney-General and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said.
"People who've been fundamentally against the idea of letting Aboriginal people have a Voice to Parliament use these sort of scare tactics."
Voice is 'advisory only', government concedes
The bill to establish the mechanism for direct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation was formally presented to the upper house earlier this month by Mr Maher, after "dozens of consultations" with "hundreds of Aboriginal people and organisations".
"The former government had a bill that was the subject of nine days of consultation, this bill's been the subject of consultation for [more than] six months," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
"The big difference between the bill that Steven Marshall had was that it proposed the Voice would have a voice to a parliamentary committee. What we're proposing is a voice directly to our parliament.
"What it allows is for Aboriginal people who are members of the Voice to make representations directly to parliament. It is advisory only — it is up to the government of the day whether they implement or take into account those voices."
In January, more than a dozen Aboriginal elders and leaders wrote to Mr Maher and First Nations Voice Commissioner Dale Agius, stating they did not support the model and were "deeply concerned" about parts of the proposed Voice.
Their objections focused on what they described as a "failure to build into the model Native Title groups and leadership".
Mr Teague said while his party was opposed to the bill in its current form, it "may look to make amendments as it progresses" through parliament.
"Importantly, this is a different proposal from the national referendum set for later in the year and our opposition to this current bill does not indicate a position on that," he said.
