Shadow Attorney-General and Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser has quit the Liberal frontbench, making way for him to campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last week announced the Liberals would not support a constitutionally enshrined Voice, with the Liberal leader vowing to actively campaign against it in the lead-up to the referendum.
Mr Leeser has been a longtime supporter of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
"Over the past year I have had many respectful discussions with my parliamentary colleagues about the Voice. I have listened to their views and they have heard mine, but ultimately I have not been able to persuade them," Mr Leeser said in a statement.
He was absent from the press conference where Mr Dutton announced the Liberal policy, which the leader said was to allow for Mr Leeser to return to Sydney for Passover.
While frontbenchers are required to follow party policies, Liberal rules allow for backbenchers to adopt a different position.
Julian Leeser has held the attorney-general and Indigenous Australians portfolio since the last election. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
"My resignation as a frontbencher is not about personality, it’s about keeping faith with an issue that I have been working on for almost a decade," Mr Leeser said.
Mr Leeser will remain in parliament and will seek to tweak the wording that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed last month. Even if he's unsuccessful, he will campaign for the Voice.
"I believe the time for the Voice has come," Mr Leeser said at a press conference.
"I believe in local and regional Voices. I believe in a national Voice, drawn from local and regional bodies, and l support the referendum being put this year.
"I believe that [a] Voice can help move the dial on Indigenous education, health, housing, safety and economic development."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has committed to holding a referendum on the Voice later this year. If successful, the Voice would have the power to advise the parliament on matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
The opposition's position is for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the constitution but not a Voice to Parliament. It supports regional and local voices but doesn't want them enshrined in the constitution.
Mr Dutton described Mr Leeser as a "dear friend" and someone of great character. He thanked him for his service on the Liberal frontbench.
"He is a person that has our country's best interest at heart and as he pointed out, he doesn't leave with the rancour, he does not leave with bitterness," Mr Dutton said.
"He has gone through a process in our party and his position is at odds with the overwhelming majority of the Liberal Party members in our partyroom."
Julian Leeser has been a longtime supporter of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. (ABC News: Mark Moore)
Their final report called for local and regional structures, a Voice not having veto over the parliament, and the Voice not being a body that administers programs or services, which would undercut existing groups.
Ms Archer and Liberal senator Andrew Bragg paid tribute to Mr Leeser, for his work advocating inside the Liberal Party for a Voice.
Nationals senator Jacinta Nampijinpa-Price, a vocal opponent of the Voice, said Mr Leeser's resignation was "one of the most significant developments" in the Voice debate.
"This will likely have a substantial impact on the undecided and current No votes," she said.
"He’s certainly shown himself to be a person of principle, as well as incredibly well informed and committed."
Acting Prime Minister Penny Wong said Mr Leeser had shown strength and made a principled decision.
"He understands this is a once in a generation chance to make a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to help close the gap," she said.
Live Moment
Look back at how ABC readers and other Australians responded to this live moment.
Live moment closed
That's it for Peter Dutton's press conference, so we'll wrap up our live coverage here.
You can catch up on Tuesday's developments as they happened below, or download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest news.
Peter Dutton's press conference just wrapped up moments ago. Here were his final thoughts.
"I'm very happy with the position that we have and I believe it represents the overwhelming view of our party room," he says.
"I believe that there are a growing number of Australians who are very concerned about what the Canberra Voice would mean and the fact that it would not deliver the outcomes that have been promised the people in Indigenous communities.
"But I'll just say this to the Prime Minister. This should be a respectful debate. You can form a judgement, Yes or No, in relation to the Voice based on your life experiences, based on your facts, as you studied them and based on your own judgements. It does not make you a racist, it does not mean that your view is worth less than the next person.
"It could be respectful the debate. There are Indigenous Australians that are in favour and against the Voice I think we should be respectful of everybody in this debate."
"For me I am driven, to be honest, I am fairly transparent, I am driven by what is in our country's best interest," Dutton says.
"After studying this interest for months and months I've spoken to people around the country and after visiting very desperate situations and some original communities, I do not believe that the 'Canberra Voice' is in our country's best interest.
"Change the constitution and you change the country. We live in one of the most stable democracies in the world and the underpinning of that is the constitution.
"It is the rule book if you like. I know that people are motivated by a feelgood or a vibe much I understand that, but you need to dig a bit deeper and look at what it is that is being proposed here.
"It is allowing a national voice that is appointed not elected to essentially be another arm of the government to scrutinise, to lobby, to influence every decision of government.
"Now think about that for a second, that in our country best interest?
"You apply another layout to the decision-making process, it will dramatically change the way, and I do not believe that the better, that our country operates."
One reporter asks: "Julian Leeser says no great nation has ever been built by dividing it. Is that what you've done here?" The reporter also asks about misjudging support for the Coalition.
Dutton doubles down.
"As Julian has laid out, his position is at odds to the vast majority, or the overwhelming majority, in his words, of the party. We respect that."
Instead, he says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is "dividing debate."
"I'll give that consideration over the next few days, a week or so," Dutton says.
"How people vote on a ballot in a secret ballot is entirely up to them," Dutton replies.
That's the first question thrown to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Dutton doesn't answer the question and instead speaks to how Leeser was in a "unique position."
"As he pointed out today, he has set up an organisation which was designed to bring people together around conditional change. He has a view in relation to it being in the competition."
"Our determination is to make sure that we have local and regional voices as we want to listen to those people in the communities together best possible outcome for them," Dutton says.
"The Prime Minister's proposal, which is a Canberra Voice, will not deliver that outcome.
"The biggest constitutional change that is proposed here in our country's history needs to be scrutinised and I'd say to all Australians, please go and get a better understanding of the detail of what has been promised."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton continues.
"I think in light of Julian's announcement today it is proper that people including the Prime Minister should apologise to Julian Leeser.
"He's a person that has our country's best interests at heart and as he pointed out, he doesn't leave with rank or with bitterness.
"He has gone through a process in our party and his position is at odds with the overwhelming majority of the Liberal Party members in our party room."
Peter Dutton is now speaking.
He's called Julian Leeser "a man of great character, of strength."
Dutton adds "the personal attacks levelled against him over the course of the last couple of months including by the Prime Minister, have been quite disgraceful."
Wondering what this is? Join us next time we're live and be part of the discussion.
