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The Sauce: Liberals reveal if they will vote Yes or No on the Voice to Parliament

No supporters within the Liberal Party have warned of a “day of reckoning” after the October 14 Voice referendum for MPs who backed the Albanese government proposal.

‘Ramping up’: Yes vote rises as Australians seek more information

Liberal MPs worried about voter backlash are refusing to say whether they support the Voice amid already divisive debate in their electorates and branches.

No supporters within the Liberal Party are also warning of a “day of reckoning” after the October 14 referendum for MPs who backed the Albanese government proposal.

This is despite federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton allowing backbench MPs a “free vote” and NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman giving his entire team permission to do what they believed in. Ahead of the referendum, The Sauce decided to approach every state and federal Liberal MP to ask whether they would be voting “yes”, “no” or “prefer not to say”.

Only one – Senator Maria Kovacic – failed to respond to multiple texts ands calls on the matter, while a spokesman for opposition business manager Paul Fletcher said the Bradfield MP “won’t be commenting”.

In June, Ms Kovacic said she would absolutely vote for the Voice if the Albanese government accepted Liberal MP Julian Leeser’s suggestion to delete “executive government” from the wording so that the body would only have the power to advise parliament.

At a state level, the No and Yes camps were almost evenly divided while also not following factional lines.

Mark Speakman has given the Liberals a choice in The Voice referendum. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short
Mark Speakman has given the Liberals a choice in The Voice referendum. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Those in the No camp included Kellyville MP Ray Williams, upper house opposition leader Damien Tudehope, upper house MLC Susan Carter, Winston Hills MP Mark Taylor, Hawkesbury MP Robyn Preston, Willoughby MP Tim James, Castle Hill MP Mark Hodges, Lane Cove MP Anthony Roberts, upper house MLC Rachel Merton, Miranda MP Eleni Petinos, Badgerys Creek MP Tanya Davies, upper house MLC Natasha Maclaren-Jones, upper house MLC Scott Farlow and Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman

“I want to keep our national anthem true – for we are one,” Ms Davies said.

“And so many more reasons for voting No.”

The lack of detail was the key reason Ms Carter said she would vote No: “Will take years to sort out and will be a distraction from the real issue of closing the gap.”

Mr James said voters in his electorate held views on both sides of the debate, with everyone wanting to see better outcomes for Indigenous Australians; “however, it is clear that the constitutionally-enshrined Voice proposal is not the best way forward for our country”.

Those declining to reveal their vote included Pittwater MP Rory Amon, whose state seat is within the federal “teal” seat of Mackellar represented by Yes advocate, Dr Sophie Scamps.

Wahroonga MP Aliser Henskens also declared he was in the “prefer-not-to-say” group, along with party colleagues Holsworthy MP Tina Ayyad, Albury MP Justin Clancy, Drummoyne MP Stephanie Di Pasqua, Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane, upper house MP Chris Rath and opposition Whip Adam Crouch.

Mr Rath said it was “unhelpful” for state MPs to be “running commentary”, while Ms Di Pasqua said she was “remaining neutral” given it was “a federal issue”.

Federally, Hughes MP Jenny Ware was also in the “prefer-not-to-say” category.

Maria Kovacic would be a Yes if executive government was deleted from the Voice.
Maria Kovacic would be a Yes if executive government was deleted from the Voice.
Ray Williams is in the No camp.
Ray Williams is in the No camp.

Along with Leeser, Liberals supporting the Voice included Senator Andrew Bragg and state colleagues – Hornsby MP Matt Kean, Manly MP James Griffin, Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams, Oatley MP Mark Coure, North Shore MP Felicity Wilson, Ryde MP Jordan Lane, upper house MLC Jacqui Munro, upper house MLC Natalie Ward, upper house MLC Aileen MacDonald and Davidson MP Matt Cross.

Former premier Dominic Perrottet also indicated early this year that he was a Yes supporter, questioning at the time what the “real concern” was among the opponents to the referendum.

The majority of NSW federal Liberal members – Banks MP David Coleman, deputy opposition leader Senator Hollie Hughes, Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh, Hume MP Angus Taylor, Mitchell MP Alex Hawke and Cook MP Scott Morrison – fell into the No camp.

Despite the “free votes” granted to MPs, one senior NSW Liberal claimed there was anger at those who had so publicly gone out and “backed Labor”.

“There will be a day of reckoning and it will come after the referendum,” the Liberal source said.

The comment followed debate at the NSW Liberal state executive last week over a motion for party referendum co-ordinators to access internal contact lists in order to rustle up volunteers for booths.

The motion stated how the “boothly volunteer management system” and contact lists had been restricted to the conference presidents and secretaries, which had presented a challenge “for those co-ordinating the No campaign” because the key co-ordinators appointed by the campaign “do not hold these positions” and were therefore “unable to access membership lists”.

The motion passed, but only after heated debate.

REVENUE-RAISING

Mobile speed cameras are all about improving road safety – or are they?

A refreshingly honest social media post by Labor MP Ron Hoenig this week has said what many motorists believe – it’s all about “revenue-raising”.

Why else would a mobile speed camera be placed on a 50km/h road in Mascot that – as Hoenig points out – has had no car accidents for the past five years.

“ … and Bayside Council have measured average speed which is well below the 50km/h speed limit,” he says.

“So why is (sic) there? #revenueraising.”

And to maintain the rage, Hoenig has urged his followers to call up his party colleague, Roads Minister John Graham, “today”.

“I know he wants speed cameras to be about road safety,” Hoenig says.

CAREER-LIMITING

Two NSW transport bureaucrats having a private joke about how one of them had misspelt the name of Transport Minister Jo Haylen on an official form will be in for a shock when they learn their correspondence has been tabled in state parliament.

The emails were released as part of a call for papers by Liberals into the appointment of former Labor media spinner Josh Murray to the role of Transport Department boss.

“Hi, you’ve spelt Minister Haylen’s name incorrectly – want to quickly correct?” one wrote to the other.

“How embarrassing. Sorry was rushing,” came the reply. The bureaucrat said: “No worries at all! Definitely what they call a career limiting move, but it can be our secret!”

“Ha ha. I have certainly had a few of those over the years.”

Got some Sauce? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/the-sauce-liberals-reveal-if-they-will-vote-yes-or-no-on-the-voice-to-parliament/news-story/2c9643c7c40a355a5ba7b090301d08ea