The Canberra Liberals' Mark Parton has confirmed he will vote yes for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, being the first member of the territory's opposition to officially throw support behind the referendum.
The opposition spokesman for housing and transport is the second Canberra Liberals' member to express their view on the Voice, with the party allowing members a conscience vote.
Deputy leader Jeremy Hanson was the first opposition member to reveal his position, saying he was against the Voice as he believed it would put racial separation into the Constitution.
Mr Parton, who is the ACT's only MLA with known Indigenous heritage, said he came to the decision to support enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament after a series of long conversations.
He said spoken with many people, including prominent no campaigners Warren Mundine and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, before he had reached his decision. He had initially believed he would vote no but said conversations with people from his mob had cemented his decision to vote yes.
"One of the things that my six or seven years [in the Assembly] has taught me is that sometimes the pursuit of perfect defeats good outcomes," he said.
"Although I can see that what's been laid on the table thus far is flawed in some aspects, I don't think those aspects are enough to lead me to vote no."
Mr Parton's paternal grandmother was from Noongar country, in south-west of Western Australia, and over recent years he has discovered more about his Indigenous ancestry. He said he never even knew his grandmother was Indigenous until after she died.
"My father was embarrassed and ashamed of his Aboriginality so it was never spoken of and I wasn't even a little bit aware of it," he said.
"Soon after my grandmother died someone said to me you realise your grandmother was Aboriginal don't you?"
Mr Parton said the journey to discover more about his family had been emotional, particularly finding out more of the injustices experienced by his ancestors.
"How did anyone believe that was OK, that you could get away with that and people wouldn't remember it. That's just rubbish," he said.
Mr Parton has previously spoken about his heritage in the Assembly.
"I don't identify as a Noongar man. I'm extremely mindful of my Aboriginal heritage but again I still almost feel like an impostor," he told The Canberra Times on Tuesday.
While Mr Parton will be voting yes it is unlikely he will actively campaign for the referendum as he said he did not believe elected members should tell others how to vote.
"I don't think that anyone should be told how to vote. I don't think that people should be shamed for voting one way or another," he said.
The federal Liberals are against the Voice, however, the decision to campaign against the referendum is only binding for members of the shadow cabinet. Julian Leeser stepped down from his role on the federal frontbench over the decision.
Mr Parton expressed disappointment that the federal cabinet was bound by the decision and he supported the decision to allow a conscience vote for Canberra Liberal members.
"At least the federal Liberal party has allowed their backbenchers to have a conscience vote on this but to be honest I genuinely believe that it's wrong that even cabinet is bound," he said.
Mr Parton said he respected Mr Hanson's view and he did not believe it would create tension in the party room, citing the same-sex marriage plebiscite where Liberal MLAs had different views.
"I don't think it will create any tension," he said.
"Jeremy is free to think and arrive at whatever conclusion he has arrived at and he has done so after much discussion and that's all you can expect."
Mr Hanson, who confirmed his position on Monday, said it was a Liberal tradition to allow a free vote and he accepted others in his party would have different views.
"I think it is a Liberal tradition that we get a free vote. We did on the republic, we did on issues like euthanasia, same-sex marriage and I don't see why it would be any different," he said.
"It's different in the federal party because this is something that comes before the federal parliament. This isn't something that comes before the ACT Assembly.
"My colleagues, some may support it and some may not [but] at the end of the day that's a matter for them. I'm given that free vote and I'm going to put my point of view forward."
ACT Indigenous Affairs Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith criticised Mr Hanson's position and took aim at him revealing this position as one of his first acts as acting opposition leader.
"I think there will be many people who support the Canberra Liberals and many Canberra Liberal members today who will be incredibly disappointed to see Jeremy Hanson joining Peter Dutton and the noalition in his approach to the voice," she said.
Ms Stephen-Smith said she encouraged all Canberra Liberal MLAs to declare their position and pointed to Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee's social media. Over recent days Ms Lee has retweeted news articles from federal Liberal members who have spoken in support of the voice.
Ms Lee has not confirmed her position and is currently on maternity leave.
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