Members of the Northern Territory's Country Liberal Party (CLP) have voted to back the 'No campaign' in the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The move has been welcomed by the CLP's sole federal representative, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
But it is not yet clear what the rebuke will mean for the CLP's parliamentary leader, Lia Finocchiaro, who last week said she supported the Voice in theory but held concerns about a lack of detail from the federal Labor government.
At a closed-door Central Council meeting south of Darwin on Saturday, party delegates reportedly voted in favour of several motions to oppose the Voice, meaning it will now become the official party position.
It comes after Senator Price, who has been critical of the Voice to Parliament concept, earlier this month said the party would fall into line behind her.
A referendum on First Nations recognition in the constitution will be held in the second half of this year.
Federal and Territory Labor are backing the Yes vote, while the federal National Party have openly backed the No campaign.
Liberal leader Peter Dutton has not outlined his position.
In a statement released late on Saturday, Senator Price said she applauded the Central Council for backing her stance.
"The CLP has sent a clear message that it will fight for an Australia in which all Australians are equal and these motions reflect that," she said.
"Australians do not want racial division written indelibly in our Constitution.
"The Voice is divisive, it is a dangerous threat to our democracy and it is unfair. I am grateful to the members of the CLP who voted to oppose it."
Vote opens up divisions in territory politics
Yesterday's vote is a sign of a division between the CLP's party and parliamentary wings.
Last week, the CLP's members in the NT Legislative Assembly abstained from voting on a motion to support the Voice, with Ms Finocchiaro calling on the federal government to give more detail around the proposed body.
"Our position is that we don't oppose the Voice, we support the concept," she said.
"But there's absolutely no detail and no one in our communities have been consulted."
Ms Finocchiaro said it "would not be unusual" for the membership of a political party to take a different position on an issue from its parliamentary wing.
"It may be that the CLP as a party membership decide that they don't support the Voice," she said.
"It's an important debate that we encourage, and every territorian should be thinking about what this referendum looks like and whether they believe it's going to do what the prime minister is promising it will deliver."
Labor used its numbers to pass the motion, with Chief Minister Natasha Fyles being accused of using it to wedge the CLP ahead of the by-election in the seat of Arafura next month.
Ms Fyles said the CLP had been "coy" on the issue, accusing the party of not taking a position and leaving Arafura voters in the dark.
Among those who attended yesterday's Central Council meeting at Lake Bennett, 40 minutes south of Darwin, was former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.
Speaking outside the conference before the vote, Mr Joyce said he was attending to outline the Nationals' position on the Voice, expressing concern it could threaten the "egalitarian nature of our constitution".
"I'm not here to tell the CLP what to do," he said.
"I'm here to report back to the CLP and I'm here to take questions as requested and required by the CLP."
