‘Woke tokenism’: Victorian MP Tim Smith to defy Liberal party support for treaty authority

Outgoing Liberal MP Tim Smith says he cannot condone the establishment of a treaty authority in Victoria. Photograph: David Caird/AAP

The Victorian Coalition has announced it will support the establishment of an independent authority to oversee the state’s treaty negotiations, although outgoing Liberal MP Tim Smith has vowed to cross the floor to vote against the bill, describing it as “woke tokenism”.

The state’s opposition leader, Matthew Guy, and Nationals leader, Peter Walsh, confirmed the Coalition’s position on the Treaty Authority bill after a party room meeting on Tuesday.