Cracks emerge in Nationals over opposition to Indigenous voice as Ken Wyatt blasts party’s ‘laziness’
Nationals MP Sam Birrell stopped short of endorsing his party’s decision to oppose the voice to parliament during its meeting this week, reserving his position on the referendum in another sign of diverging views on Indigenous constitutional recognition within the junior Coalition partner.
Former party leader Michael McCormack also said the Nationals could revisit their opposition to the voice if the Labor government gives more detail on the plan next year. Former Liberal minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt branded the junior Coalition party’s decision “disappointing”, accusing them of “laziness” in not considering reports on the voice created under their own government in recent years.
“It’s not closed off, but we want more detail,” McCormack said of potential further Nationals discussion, adding the party could “have another look at it”.
The party’s announcement on Monday that it would oppose the voice to parliament referendum was fiercely criticised by Indigenous leader Noel Pearson and the government. The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, said the party room agreed to not support the voice as they didn’t believe Labor had provided enough detail about the referendum, but MP Andrew Gee revealed on Tuesday he was “still a supporter” of the plan.
Guardian Australia understands Birrell, the newly elected member for Nicholls, reserved his position on the voice in the meeting and did not formally back the party’s decision. It’s understood Birrell wanted to consider more information on the referendum and the voice proposal before settling his position.
Birrell declined a request for comment.
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McCormack, the shadow minister for international development and the former deputy prime minister, told Guardian Australia on Tuesday night that he had reservations about the voice proposal, but said the Nationals could re-examine their opposition if more detail was shared. He said the party would want more concrete information on how the government’s proposal would help “close the gap” on Indigenous social and health outcomes before they could consider supporting it, but that the discussion was not “closed off ”.
“We would want steadfast clarity, it would have to be a long leap of faith from where we are now, and more thorough detail than the motherhood
statements we’ve heard so far,” McCormack said.
“If we’re going to change the constitution and change the lives of Aboriginal people, it has to be meaningful and tangible to help closing the gap … it hasn’t happened so far.”
McCormack said he was open to receiving more detail on the voice plan, but noted that if the referendum would be held in 2023 it “doesn’t give us much time”.
Guardian Australia understands the government plans to hold the referendum in the second half of 2023. Next year’s parliamentary calendar, released on Tuesday, includes large gaps in sitting periods in July and October that could be used to schedule a referendum.
The Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, told colleagues on Tuesday that their party would not settle a position on the voice this year, pending more information. Liberal MP Bridget Archer told ABC News she was surprised the Nationals had decided to oppose the referendum so far ahead of the vote.
“I am very open-hearted and openminded about the discussion, and indeed, I am part of a group for the Uluru statement,” she said. “I was surprised that [the Nationals] have come out, so soon, and with a no position, and obviously it has caused some consternation amongst their own ranks as well.”
Wyatt, a minister in the Turnbull and Morrison Coalition governments, criticised the Nationals’ decision on Radio National on Wednesday. He said he brought a proposal for a voice to parliament to cabinet twice while in government, which he said laid out the concept in detail, and implored his former colleagues to consider that report.
“What is obvious with the National party is they have not read the report and not given an Aboriginal voice to parliament an opportunity to be aired and listened to,” Wyatt said. “They should still have [that report].”
He said the Nationals Indigenous Australians Agency, when he was minister, had outlined a voice proposal in great detail.
“[If] the legislative detail, if it reflects the model that our people have raised in various reports, is put into place, then there’s no excuse to say you do not know the detail. It’s laziness,” Wyatt said.
“I think it’s being used as an excuse. To my mind it offers up a level of immaturity around a complex issue.”