‘No point’: Peter Dutton’s referendum call rubbished by leading academic Marcia Langton

Peter Dutton’s call for a second referendum to be held if the Voice fails has been shot down by one of the Yes camp’s leading advocates.

Indigenous academic Marcia Langton has rejected calls for a second referendum should the Voice fail, instead urging the Albanese government to seriously consider its next steps.

Professor Langton, the former co-chair of the Morrison government’s Indigenous voice design advisory group, said there would be “no point” to the watered down proposal aired by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at the weekend.

Mr Dutton had suggested another referendum be held to enshrine constitutional Indigenous recognition, without the Voice.

“The purpose of his referendum … is not what we asked for. So, on those grounds – no, I'm not interested and I know that over 80 per cent of Indigenous Australians would not be interested,” she told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

“And we would communicate that very clearly to the Australian people, should he ever be elected.”

Australians will vote in the referendum for the Voice on October 14.

The professor outlined her argument for the Yes vote in her address to the Press Club. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The government has lashed the Coalition for trying to sabotage the vote by committing to a second referendum amid flagging support recent opinion polls has the Voice tracking towards defeat.

In her address, Prof Langton accused the No campaign of being “increasingly absurd” and argued the Voice was “the barest measure imaginable”.

“Australian voters have been deceived by the No case and by the relentless negativity and conned into believing that the referendum proposal will not lead to better outcomes,” she said.

“This is utter nonsense. These lies, however, are effective with a growing minority. Few Australians have knowledge of their national constitution, and even less about the Indigenous peoples.”

She said the referendum was Australia’s “one chance” to give Indigenous Australians a say in the policies that affect them.

“Don’t imagine that there’s another opportunity around the corner, don’t think your ’no’ vote goes into a different pile marked ‘next time’,” Prof Langton said.

Much of the No campaign argument has been driven by a claim of a lack of detail. Prof Langton told reporters the detail is all there in her co-designed report.

Prof Langton said she would not work with Mr Dutton on his call for a second referendum. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The report produced by Prof Langton and Prof Tom Calma was twice presented to Cabinet during the Morrison government. It was the result of 18 months of consultation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously indicated the model would be a good starting point should the Voice be successful next month, but he has not committed to it.

When asked, the academic declined to say Mr Albanese should have endorsed the model in order to shut down the No case.

But should the Voice fail, Prof Langton indicated she would like the government to set out an agenda for reform that’s based on “common sense”.

“There is another opportunity for this government – and that is to consider what it would do should the Voice referendum fail,” she said.

“And then, I do hope that this government would turn to our report for inspiration, for policy settings, to empower us, to involve us, in Closing The Gap and other issues that affect our lives.”

The academic became emotional while talking about the toll of the referendum campaign. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In a sign of the personal toll the referendum campaign has had on the academic, Prof Langton had tears welling in her eyes as she spoke about abuse hurled at those advocating for change.

She argued that the No camp were to win, the debate will “change so radically” and indicated her generation of leaders will need to take a step back.

“The levels of abuse against the Yes campaigners, including death threats, and daily published insults and abuse takes a toll,” she said.

“I think our generation of leaders will hand over to younger leaders and they, too, then will become targets like Adam Goodes, like Stan Grant, and the cycle will continue.”