The leader of the Victorian Nationals has backed his federal counterpart's opposition to a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament being written into the constitution.
Earlier this week, the federal National Party confirmed it would not support the proposal and had consulted regional communities before reaching its decision.
The move was criticised by the federal Labor party who called the decision premature.
Prominent Indigenous lawyer Noel Pearson accused federal Nationals leader David Littleproud of "capitulating" to newly elected senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price — a vocal opponent of the body.
But Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said his federal counterpart made the right call.
"If you are going to take something to a referendum you need to know the detail. Just to have a referendum and say a parliamentary committee will then design what comes out of that referendum, I don’t think that’s the way to go about that," he told RN Breakfast.
"It’s not just about a high-level debate for the elite, it’s got to be about outcomes on the ground."
Mr Walsh said the Nationals were "almost compelled to oppose" the move because of the lack of detail provided on how the Voice would improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
"How is this going to deliver on the ground in a community for a young mum fleeing a domestic violence relationship that needs a house?" he asked.
"We want to solve disadvantage for all Australians right across the board, including Indigenous Australians. The question is: is this going to do that? And I’m not sure it is."
Victorian treaty body accuses Nationals of 'seriously poor judgement'
Mr Walsh's comments come at a time when Victoria is moving ahead with negotiations on a treaty with Indigenous communities in the state — a process his party has supported.
Marcus Stewart, a co-chair at Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly, said he was disappointed at the position taken by both the Victorian and federal Nationals.
"To back in the immature decision of the Australian Nationals to turn their back and walk away before even a conversation has started just reeks of immaturity and to support that I think is seriously poor judgement," he said.
"I'd hate to see them — on the back of all the good work they've done in Victoria — to be the faces of the No campaign."
Mr Stewart also questioned the federal Nationals' commitment to getting "real outcomes" for Indigenous Australians, noting that Indigenous advancement funds were given to lobby groups representing fishermen and cattlemen when the party controlled the Indigenous Affairs portfolio.
Fellow Assembly co-chair Aunty Geraldine Atkinson said the federal Nationals position on the Voice should be challenged.
"If we want to improve the lives of our people, we need to start putting Aboriginal people in the driver's seat when it comes to the big decisions that affect us and that's what things like Voice and Treaty are all about," she said.
"Of course more details about the Voice need to be discussed, but that's what the conversation is all about and the conversation is just starting, so that's why it's very disappointing to see the Nationals turn their backs and walk away from it.
"How can you hear the details if you're not even willing to listen?"
Dissent from NSW MP and WA branch
Mr Walsh's stance put his state branch at odds with his West Australian colleagues, who publicly criticised the federal party's statement on the issue.
Leader of the WA Nationals, Mia Davies, said her team would support the Voice.
"I'm respectful of the decision their party room has made, it doesn't necessarily align to how the Nationals in Western Australia have approached this issue," she told ABC Radio Perth.
There are also dissenting voices emerging from within the federal Nationals, with frontbencher Andrew Gee saying he was not present at the party room meeting where the party's position was debated.
"If the expectation was from anyone that I was just going to fall into line on it. I mean, it's just never going to happen. It's absurd to think that that that is going to be the case," he said.
"I think this is an important moment for Australia, and even though we've come a long way with reconciliation in this country to get us to this point, there's still more work to be done and there's still more to do and we need to be moving forward as one country."
