Voice to parliament: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to double down on claims he opposes the Voice

A majority of voters in the majority of states now support the charge according to an exclusive Newspoll published today.

But the Liberal Party is expected to offer a conscience vote to MPs who back the reform if the government refuses to amend the legislation to address its concerns over the legal risks of the model Mr Albanese is proposing.

The Coalition insists the final position is not settled and there will be genuine debate at the Liberal party room meeting in Canberra today. It starts at 10:30am.

Mr Dutton is expected to argue that he supports constitutional recognition for ­Indigenous Australians and a legislated voice to parliament supported by local and regional voices but not the model being proposed.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer told news.com.au she was hopeful that she would be allowed to publicly campaign for the Yes vote.

“The best case scenario today is a position on the Voice that allows for a conscience vote,” she said.

“I am going to vote Yes, irrespective of what the party room decides. I know there are some people who don’t think it is a simple proposition. It’s about recognition for First Nation Australians and consultation about issues that affect their lives.

“There’s a whole range of views and I think we could land a conscience vote.”

Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham conceded there were “always risks” about the position the party lands on.

“Australians will be the ultimate arbiters and judges of this,” Senator Birmingham told Radio National.

“We should be very mindful of the way we engage in this debate.”

Liberal MP Andrew Bragg said the Liberal tradition was that members and senators determine their own position on public votes.

“I‘ve been a long term supporter but I want to make sure the wording is safe for our system of government,” he said.

The National have already determined they will advocate for a “No” vote.

But if the Prime Minister amendments fail to address the concerns the Liberal Party has raised, Mr Dutton will argue for a ‘No’ position with a conscience vote for moderates in the Liberal Party.

Senior Liberals have confirmed that Mr Dutton has settled on a position that raises concerns over the legal risks of a voice body advising both parliament and the executive government.

While there is strong support for the Voice proposal in some sections of the Liberal Party, led by frontbencher Julian Leeser and Simon Birmingham, many of these MPs have become concerned by Anthony Albanese’s “my way or the highway” approach.

Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher said it was the “right thing to do in history”.

“We do accept that bipartisan support is the optimal pathway,‘’ she told ABC radio on Wednesday morning.

“It seems to me the opposition has been searching for problems.”

Mr Albanese has repeatedly accused Mr Dutton of being the Dr No of Australian politics and “undermining support for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.

“I’m awaiting it,” Mr Albanese said. “I’ve had seven meetings with him. He’s met with the referendum working group. There are no signs,‘’ he said.

Labor MP Josh Burns has called Mr Dutton “the leader of the No campaign”.

“He says no, but Australia will say yes,” Mr Burns said. “This leader of the opposition does not have questions. All he has are tricky political tactics that are aimed at undermining reconciliation.”

Opposition spokesperson for Indigenous Affairs Julian Leeser has argued Mr Albanese should remove a clause that refers to advising the executive government.

But Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said the idea the Liberals would support the model if they agreed to some modest changes was false.

“I fear that most of the comments that have come from the Liberal Party since the election seem to have been more directed at finding reasons to oppose the Voice than supporting it,‘’ he said.

“This is a constitutionally sound proposal. The overwhelming consensus of constitutional lawyers around Australia, starting with former High Court Justice Robert French, is that this is constitutionally sound. It’s a proposal that’s been out there for a long time.”

The Liberal Party’s meeting today is first since the humiliating Aston by-election defeat that saw the previously safe Liberal seat fall to the Labor Party for the first time in 30 years.

Mr Dutton has urged his colleagues to “stick” together and understand where they are at in the electoral cycle.

“They understand that at the 10-month mark the government is still in its honeymoon period and they’ll continue that for some time,” Mr Dutton said.

Deputy leader Sussan Ley said it was “always a tough period going into opposition”

“But we are united, we are determined and we are ready to meet the challenges so we can demonstrate that we’re here for the Australian people who want us to provide an alternative,” Ms Ley said.

“Saturday was a tough day in the office but we’ll regroup, we’ll redouble our efforts and we will earn the faith, the trust and the support of the Australian people.”