The Victorian Liberal party is expected to allow its MPs to freely choose their position on the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament.
The decision would put the state party at odds with its federal counterpart, which is formally opposed to the federal government’s proposal to enshrine the advisory body in Australia’s constitution.
Victoria’s shadow cabinet will on Monday meet to discuss whether to bind Coalition MPs to a possible future policy position.
Another debate, at a date yet to be announced, will determine if there will be such a position, and what it may be. The Liberals and the Nationals will debate the matters separately within their party rooms.
The shadow treasurer, Brad Roswell, on Sunday joined Liberal colleagues Jess Wilson, Evan Mulholland and James Newbury in backing calls for MPs to have the freedom to campaign for a yes or no vote in the referendum later this year.
Several Liberal party sourcessaid they expected the shadow cabinet and the Liberal party room would agree to this position, and allow MPs to make up their own minds on the voice.
“I don’t think there will be any dissent at all,” one Liberal MP said.
But they said the voice to parliament was a federal issue and would not be a priority for state MPs to campaign on.
“It’s a national referendum – I’m not going to be distracted by it,” they said.
One Liberal MP said allowing MPs freedom to campaign freely was “the most Liberal way”.
Allowing freedom on the voice is also likely to help quell divisions inside the Liberals’ party room after John Pesutto was forced to abandon a push to expel MP Moira Deeming from the parliamentary party over her attendance at an anti-transgender protest that was gatecrashed by Nazis in March.
Liberal frontbencher Evan Mulholland, who is opposed to a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament, said he believed MPs should not be forced into a particular position.
“The idea that the state parliamentary party should have one view on a national issue is divorced from the reality of how regular punters make these decisions for themselves,” he said.
“Just because a big multinational corporation is supporting the yes vote doesn’t mean all their employers are.”
The moderate Liberal MP and frontbencher Jess Wilson has previously signalled she is leaning towards supporting the voice and said she wanted the freedom to have a “respectful debate” on the issue.
The opposition equality spokesperson, James Newbury, told the Age newspaper the Victorian Liberal party had a responsibility to the public to come to a position.
But another Liberal MP, who requested anonymity, said he did not believe the party should publicly back a particular position on the voice because it did not require the passing of legislation within Victoria’s parliament.
The MP pointed to the 2017 same-sex marriage referendum where the Victorian Liberal party did not determine a position.
“Everyone just made their own decision at home,” the MP said.
Pesutto has said he has an “open mind” to the proposed voice to parliament and he is keen to see the findings of a federal inquiry into the referendum which will conclude next month.
