Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australians will choose Peter Dutton ought to the Opposition Leader “continue to wallow in his negativity” in opposing the Voice.
Any doubt about Mr Dutton’s place on the referendum was laid to relaxation on Tuesday after he appointed “No” campaigner and freshman Nationals senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to fill Julian Leeser’s place as opposition spokesperson for Indigenous Affairs.
In making the announcement, Mr Dutton stated Senator Price would do “an outstanding job in leading the charge for better outcomes” for Indigenous Australians, simply “not through the Prime Minister’s Canberra Voice”.
Mr Albanese stated whereas he welcomed her “considerable promotion”, the Coalition’s opposition to the Voice mannequin was clearly an ongoing reluctance to face exhausting truths.
He stated he was assured Australians would take a constructive strategy to the Voice.
“Peter Dutton can continue to wallow in his negativity, I think Australians will judge him for that,” he advised Sky News.
“What I’m about is having a positive agenda for the country.”
Speaking on the identical program earlier, Mr Dutton stated he believed Senator Price’s appointment to shadow cupboard would assist the Coalition persuade Australians that the Voice mannequin because it at the moment exists shouldn’t be proper for the nation.
“We want to make sure that we hear from those local and regional people about how we can improve situations on the ground, and I believe very strongly that that should be done in legislation – not in the constitution,” he stated.
“I strongly advocate for people to vote no … We’re up to our third form of words from the Prime Minister on the table.
“I think there are a lot of reasons why, when Australians start to take an interest in the Voice, that they will decide not to support it.
“And I think that’s appropriate because I think the Liberal Party position actually unites the country, whereas the Prime Minister’s position clearly divides the country.”
Mr Albanese additionally wouldn’t be drawn on whether or not he believed he would face Mr Dutton as Opposition Leader on the subsequent federal election, saying it was a matter for the get together.
“I think what is very clear is they are focused very much on themselves, they haven’t come to terms with the election loss last year and when they lost the by-election in Aston … (Dutton’s) response was to call a party room meeting with two days notice, have a meeting that determined to vote no for the Voice, but said they’d have local and regional voices and a national voice, then do a press conference and say they wouldn’t have a national voice,” he stated.
“I’d just leave Peter Dutton and those matters for the internals of the Liberal party and the National party.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
