Albo warned he’s ‘mucking it up’

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Julian Leeser called for a return to the model outlined in the co-design report by Marcia Langton and Tom Calma, which would establish local, regional and national bodies.

The Langton-Calma report was commissioned by the former Morrison government but was not acted on despite being presented to cabinet several times.

In an address to the National Press Club, Mr Leeser raised concerns that the current Albanese government proposal, based on advice from its referendum working group, was now a “top down” model.

“The truth is a national voice that is not accountable to local and regional voices will do little to help people at the local levels,” Mr Leeser told reporters in Canberra.

“If anything it might heighten disconnection and disillusionment.”

Last week, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus introduced the proposal to alter the constitution to a standing ovation from the public gallery. The Bill paves the way for a referendum to be held later this year, likely between October and December.

Mr Leeser, who has been a long-time supporter of the Voice, said the government was “mucking it up”. In his view, the referendum was not heading for a 1967-like result.

Mr Albanese should “seriously think” about putting off the referendum if there was any indication it could fail, he said.

“Why would you want to risk the social and racial harmony of the country, a reconciliation process, by putting a referendum whose success is not guaranteed?” Mr Leeser said.

Liberal MPs will be called back to Canberra on Wednesday for a special party room meeting where members will thrash out a position for the Voice to parliament.

It was previously expected that the party would not come to a position until after the findings of a public inquiry into the constitutional alteration was handed down on May 15.

It comes as those within the Liberals double down on calls for leader Peter Dutton to grant the party room a conscience vote on the matter – as was the case during the republic referendum.

The frontbencher indicated he would support such a proposal if it was put to the party room.

Jason Wood, who represents the seat of La Trobe on Melbourne’s metropolitan fringe, told Sky News that after surveying his constituents he would favour a conscience vote.

“I’d prefer we go to a conscience vote in the party room, allowing members to have their choice,” he said.

Ken Wyatt, the former Indigenous Australians minister who brought the Langton-Calma report to the Morrison cabinet, said a conscience vote would “allow this country to move forward”.

“I would hope that the leadership would give members a conscience vote,” he told Sky News.

Mr Leeser also told the National Press Club he wanted the draft working of the constitutional amendment to eliminate questions about who the Voice advisory body can make representations to.

“Why leave it to the High Court to decide what the constitution means by ‘make representations’,” he said.