‘No’ campaign accused of taking Aussies ‘for mugs’ as Voice referendum clears final hurdle before vote

Anthony Albanese has hit out at Peter Dutton after a leaked training session for the No campaign revealed their plan to win over voters.

Peter Dutton is the leader of a “misinformation and disinformation campaign” that is pushing “fear over fact”, according to the government.

Tempers flared in Parliament House on Tuesday, as Question Time was dominated by mudslinging over the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on revelations that the No campaign had been engaging in deliberate fear mongering tactics, after an online training session was leaked to the Nine Newspapers.

The leaked session revealed the No activist group Advance’s strategy to make people suspicious of the Voice to Parliament.

According to the tape, volunteers are told to not identify themselves as No campaigners while conducting phone calls, and raise false reports of compensation being paid to Indigenous Australians should a Yes vote get up.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese delivered a fiery spray to the No campaign ahead of the Voice referendum during parliament on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Having been asked by Coalition MP Phillip Thompson whether he had “now read in full” the 26-page dossier of supporting documents to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Mr Albanese launched an attack on the opposition for conspiring with the “scare” tactics of the No campaign.

The Uluru statement is one page, Mr Albanese said as he accused Mr Thompson of peddling “nonsense”, before speaking about the Nine Newspapers article.

He called the No campaign’s tactics “a deliberate strategy of promoting fear, fear over fact”.

“The No campaigners are out there saying this: ‘When reason and emotion collide, emotion always wins’, that’s one of the quotes that are there,” he said, making reference to the article.

“There they are, telling their campaigners to promote fear rather than hope. Promote division rather than unity. Promote the entrenching of values rather than the better future. Promote ignoring rather than listening. Promote exclusion rather than recognition.”

Peter Dutton has been urged to condemn misinformation tactics allegedly being used by No campaigners ahead of the Voice referendum. Picture: NCA/NewsWire Emma Brasier

Earlier in Question Time, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus accused Mr Dutton of leading the “misinformation and disinformation campaign that is symptomatic of the No campaign”.

His comments came after Mr Dutton had asked Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney to confirm whether, in a previous answer, she had said parliament could override the provisions of the constitution.

Ms Burney had said no such thing, and after reminding Mr Dutton of the proposed constitutional reforms, she handed the dispatch box to Mr Dreyfus, who was quick to launch an attack at the Opposition Leader.

“This question from the Opposition Leader shows entirely, on full display, his role as the leader of the misinformation and disinformation campaign that is symptomatic of the No campaign,” Mr Dreyfus said.

“He knows that the constitutional provision is extremely clear.

“(He) will stop at nothing in his campaign of disinformation and misinformation.”

Leader of the House, Tony Burke, then stepped up to raise a point of order – asking Mr Dutton to withdraw his question, because the live transcript showed Ms Burney had made no reference to overriding constitutional provisions.

A back-and-forth ensued, before Speaker Milton Dick said he would deal with the matter after Question Time.

A short time later, Mr Albanese said Mr Dutton had “verballed” Ms Burney and “put words in her mouth”; and hit out at the Coalition for their role in the No campaign’s alleged scare tactics.

Anthony Albanese has remained firm on his Voice timeline as the writs were issued and postal votes open. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It capped off a day of mudslinging across the two campaigns.

A Fair Australia spokesman pointed the finger at Voice supporters and claimed they were not being “honest” about the referendum.

“There are countless examples of Voice architects, activists and campaigners arguing that the Voice is the tool to demand taxpayer-funded compensation, pay reparations for historical wrongs, to force Australians to ‘pay the rent’ and abolish Australia Day,” they said in a statement.

Earlier, Uluru Dialogue spokesman Roy Ah-See said the tactics being employed by the No campaign insulted voters’ intelligence.

“The Australian people are being taken for mugs by the No campaign in a tactic that is distinctly un-Australian,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The No campaign has no interest in running a fair and open conversation, just like they have no interest in improving the lives of First Nations peoples and all Australians.”

Mr Albanese says all Australians will have their say. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese called out the “cynicism” of the No campaign while addressing the Labor caucus on Tuesday morning.

“This is about a request from Indigenous Australians to make decisions with them, not to them. We need to keep talking to as many people as possible in the coming weeks,” the Prime Minister told his colleagues, according to a Labor spokesman.

Down the hall, Mr Dutton told colleagues that Mr Albanese’s next move, should the referendum be defeated, would be a “test of character”.

“Whatever the outcome of the referendum on October 14 our nation will be bruised,” he said, according to a Coalition spokeswoman.

“(Mr Albanese has) also made it clear that if the referendum is voted down, that he won’t take the issue back up again. Now, either you’re consistent with your views or you are not. It’s a test of character”

The spokeswoman said one MP raised a “genuine sadness” about the referendum’s prospects and said October 15 should not be seen as a celebration, should the majority vote be No.