Senior Lib quits front bench to back voice referendum

A senior Liberal instrumental in building the foundation of the Indigenous voice has resigned his portfolio to campaign for a 'yes' referendum vote.

Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser quit the front bench after his party room decided to oppose a constitutionally enshrined voice to advise parliament and executive government.

Without a free vote, Liberal shadow cabinet ministers are bound to the party position but backbenchers are not tied by the same rules.

Mr Leeser, who is also the coalition's Indigenous affairs spokesman, said he believed the time for a national voice had come. 

"I believe the voice can help move the dial on Indigenous education, health, housing, safety and economic development," he said, announcing his resignation on Tuesday.

"I believe better policy is made when the people affected by it are consulted."

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said while he and Mr Leeser agreed on the need for regional Indigenous people to be heard, they differed when it came to constitutional change.

He lauded his colleague as a man of strength and character but maintained the Liberal Party would continue to chase local and regional voices.

"We want to listen to those people in the communities to get the best possible outcome for them," he said.

"Julian had a view about the voice being enshrined in the constitution. He is at odds with the overwhelming majority of the Liberal party room."

Mr Leeser will push the government to amend the proposed wording it has put forward in a bid to improve the chances of the referendum's success.

"The government must seriously engage with coalition voters and it hasn't done so to date," he said.

"This failure could ultimately put the referendum at risk. An all-or-nothing approach could deliver nothing. That's why we must find common ground."

But he said he would ultimately support the voice even if his amendments weren't taken on board. 

"It's right that it has a place in the constitution," he said.

Backbench Liberal moderates Bridget Archer and Andrew Bragg, who are backing the voice, have also thrown their support behind Mr Leeser.

"I want the referendum to be successful and I believe a 'yes' vote is now more likely because of Julian's conviction," Senator Bragg said. 

"This referendum is too important to play politics and it's not good enough to oppose the referendum on process grounds." 

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney welcomed the news, saying Mr Leeser had joined a growing choir of Liberals coming out to support the voice.

"Julian Leeser has shown strength in putting his principles ahead of politics," she said. 

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have extended a generous invitation to all Australians to walk together to a better future."

Senior minister Penny Wong said she expected more Liberals to break ranks and support the 'yes' campaign against "Mr Dutton's partisan narrow position".

Referendum working group member Thomas Mayo said the voice needed to be above politics and chastised misrepresentations that it would be a third chamber of parliament, hold a veto or tie up decision-making. 

"We have a proposal that is simply about Indigenous people being heard," he told ABC TV.

He also branded Mr Dutton as "a little dishonest" for saying a national voice wouldn't encompass the regions. 

"You can't have a national representative body without the local and regional part of those structures," he said.

"It's ultimately a voice that will carry the solutions from the communities through representatives that Indigenous people choose."

Indigenous senator and former Alice Springs deputy mayor Jacinta Price wants to ensure local governments are further empowered before a national body is considered.

"There's a whole lot of work that needs to be done before getting to the broader discussion. Until we do that, we can't improve the situation on the ground," she told ABC Radio.