Anthony Albanese to recruit Indigenous superstars to Yes vote

Anthony Albanese has launched a new strategy for the Voice campaign but Barnaby Joyce has slammed the proposal because it “divides people by race, by DNA”.

Tennis legend Ash Barty, Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman and AFL star Buddy Franklin are set to be recruited to sell the Yes vote with Qantas also preparing to join the campaign for constitutional recognition.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed his plans for a team of Indigenous superstars to sell Australians on a Yes vote for a Voice to parliament.

While Cathy Freeman had long been a supporter of the Yes vote, a number of sports stars are in the Prime Minister‘s sights, including NBA star Patty Mills and footballer Jonathan Thurston.

Long-time Voice supporter Adam Goodes, a former Australian of the Year, has been working behind the scenes to build support for several months.

Qantas is also expected to emblazon some planes with Yes signs to urge Australians to vote Yes when the referendum is held later this year.

“This now will be up to the Australian people,‘’ Mr Albanese told Sky News. ”And if not now, when?

“People have an opportunity for national unity.”

Australian Open winner Ash Barty is in the sights of the Prime Minister. Picture: Kim Landy/Getty Images

400m champion Cathy Freeman has long been a supporter of voting yes on the Voice. Picture: Nick Wilson/ALLSPORT

The referendum will be held in the final three months of the year with the AFL and NRL finals expected to showcase support for recognition.

“I know from speaking to a number of the NRL and AFL players, both past and present, that they will be active in constitutional recognition,‘’ Mr Albanese said.

“I expect that not just Tennis Australia, Cricket Australia, all of the sporting carpets or basketball organisations out there.

“The NRL and the NFL, the Football Federation, more commonly called here, have been very supportive of Indigenous recognition for a long period of time.”

Speaking on Sky News, Anthony Albanese said the Liberal Party had underestimated the support in the community.

“I have hope and faith in the generosity of the Australian people,‘’ he said.

“We will just work to ensure that it does succeed. I will make this point; Peter Dutton has underestimated the number of Liberal and National Party voters who will show generosity and goodwill.

“It isn‘t about politicians, this is now about a great Australian in one vote, one values, and I sincerely hope that we have a yes vote in the referendum later this year.”

Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin is anther Indigenous icon being recruited. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Buddy Franklin with his wife Jesinta Franklin. Picture: Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images

Asked if he would be prepared to offer Mr Dutton “an olive branch” by dumping the call for the Voice to consult with executive government, the Prime Minister said the Liberal Party had made its decision.

“The timetable, the process ,and I shared, I was open to changes and discussion and dialogue,‘’ he said.

“They have underestimated the number of Liberal and National Party voters who will show generosity and goodwill.”

But the former National leader Barnaby Joyce said the proposal “divide people by race.”

“It divides people by DNA,‘’ he told Sky News on Easter Sunday.

“All human beings are created equal. If I was going to turn it on its head and say poor white people are going to have a Voice to Parliament, people would be rightly outraged,” he said.

“There are Aboriginal people in Mosman. Are we going to say they are more afflicted than some of people born around here?”

Adam Goodes is among the Indigenous stars which Albanese hopes to recruit to the campaign. Picture: Michael Hickson.

Anthony Albanese is pushing for the Voice to pass through parliament. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Liberal leader Peter Dutton has been accused of a “Judas betrayal of our country” by campaigning for the No vote against Anthony Albanese’s proposal for constitutional recognition.

The Coalition has confirmed it will campaign for the “no case” against the current model of the Voice to Parliament but allow backbenchers a conscience vote.

The position, which was reached following a lengthy party room meeting, will require frontbenchers who support the proposal to resign or fall into line and back the Coalition position.

But Noel Pearson, a Cape York Indigenous leader and one of the architects of the Uluru statement, has compared the opposition leader to an “undertaker” burying the Uluru statement.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,’’ he told ABC Radio.

“I was troubled by dreams and the spectre of darkness, the Liberal Party’s Judas betrayal of our country.

Mr Joyce said that the Labor Party should offer Labor MPs a free vote because not all of them supported the proposal.

“Come off it, you know they don‘t,’’ Mr Joyce said.