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Friday, May 3, 2024

Peter Dutton ramps up calls to reject Indigenous voice vote

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has doubled down on calls for Australians to reject what he calls most important vote in Australian history.

Mr Dutton urged Australians to vote ‘no’ in the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament during a speech at the Liberal National Party convention in Brisbane on Saturday.

He pushed for more details about the voice and said the public was starved of an opportunity to contest ideas surrounding “the most significant votes in our nation’s history”.

“The prime minister has set our country on a course to division, when he has an opportunity to unite us he’s choosing the path of division,” Mr Dutton told LNP party faithful.

“This is the most significant change that’s been proposed to our constitution in 120 years.”

It comes two months after Liberal National state MPs voted in favour of historic laws to help shape future treaty negotiations in Queensland.

However, on Saturday Nationals Leader David Littleproud told the convention he did not believe his party would ever accept the push for treaty.

“We don’t believe that a treaty is necessary,” he told the audience.

Earlier in the week, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney accused Mr Dutton of being a “bully boy” for criticising big businesses supporting the ‘yes’ vote. 

She claimed the ‘no’ campaign used tactics pioneered by former US president Donald Trump to divide the nation over the referendum.

During his address, Mr Dutton said the LNP had consistent values but also spoke of points of difference around personality and policy.

“During different periods there’s been stability and instability in the organisation and we can’t win government if the public sees an organisation which is unfit to govern,” he said.

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