The Liberal MP Julian Leeser has accused the Indigenous voice no campaign of trying to “debate every issue imaginable”, echoing criticisms by the prime minister of red herrings in the constitutional recognition debate.
Leeser made the comment during a speech at a voice community event in Sydney on Monday, rejecting a central claim of the no campaign that the advisory body will create “two classes of people under the law”.
The conservative side of politics is increasingly divided as the referendum on the voice to parliament draws nearer. The New South Wales Liberal leader, Mark Speakman, is backing the voice and the federal Nationals leader, David Littleproud, is refusing to commit to his Liberal counterpart Peter Dutton’s call to legislate regional advisory bodies first instead.
For several weeks, opponents of the voice have conflated the advisory body with issues including treaties with First Nations peoples.
In the latest sideshow, the opposition’s Indigenous Australians spokesperson, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, on Monday called for an end to welcome to country acknowledgments before public events, claiming the practice was “wrong” and dividing the nation.
Leeser dismissed various claims raised by his own side about unintended consequences and the areas on which the voice could advise the government.
“It’s not about the many and varied issues the no campaign raises. It’s not about WA heritage laws, treaty, reparations,” Leeser says in an advance copy of his speech at Barker College.
“It’s not about submarines or parking tickets. It’s not about individual Aboriginal leaders or parliamentarians.
“Nor is it about creating two classes of people under the law.”
Leeser says the voice referendum is “not about politicians or parties”.
“It’s about the words on the ballot paper,” he says.
“It does not make decisions and it will not administer funds, programs or land. There is nothing scary about an advisory body. In fact, government gets advice all the time and it improves decision making.”
Leeser says the voice will correct a “flaw” in the constitution: its failure to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first Australians.
He says the voice will help close the “horrendous” gap in outcomes for Indigenous people, citing that an Indigenous woman is 35 times more likely to be assaulted and an Indigenous boy is more likely to go to jail than university.
“There is no shortage of money, no shortage of goodwill, no shortage of bipartisanship but the gap isn’t closing.
“The answer to the gap … will be found in empowerment, in personal responsibility, in community building.”
Leeser noted that “some no proponents” – a reference that includes Dutton – “have argued we can create a legislated voice [and] not a constitutional one”.
“The problem with this approach is that Indigenous Australians are asking for something more permanent.”
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on Monday told ABC Melbourne he believes the no campaign “isn’t confident of its case for voting no” because it talks about “everything else”.
Albanese singled out the columnist Peta Credlin and Dutton for saying things they know “are not true”. He cited the claim that the Uluru statement is longer than one page, labelling this “disingenuous”.
“It’s a tactic to try and raise issues that are not part of this referendum, are not part of the debate.”
Earlier, Albanese told WSFM radio that the voice will “not have an impact on most of your listeners … but just might make things better for the most disadvantaged group of Australians”.
“This is an … opportunity to show respect for Aboriginal Australians, but also it’s an opportunity for us to feel better about ourselves.”
