Uluru leaders applaud Liberal MP Julian Leeser’s decision to resign from frontbench over Indigenous voice to parliament

Indigenous Australians who called for the voice to parliament at Uluru in 2017 have welcomed former Coalition frontbencher Julian Leeser to the ‘Yes’ ­campaign.

Former Liberal frontbencher Julian Leeser. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Symons

Indigenous Australians who called for the voice at Uluru in 2017 have welcomed former Coalition frontbencher Julian Leeser to the Indigenous voice to parliament Yes ­campaign, saying he has embraced the spirit of a movement that was always about the people not politics.

The Uluru Dialogue, co-chaired by Megan Davis and Pat Anderson, has quietly earned the support of an eclectic range of MPs over the past six years including the teals. On Tuesday the group behind the History is Calling campaign stressed the conversation about the Indigenous advisory body “should not be mediated via the Canberra bubble”.

“Julian Leeser’s resignation speaks to the spirit of Uluru – the people not the politicians,” said Wiradjuri man Roy Ah-See on behalf of the Uluru Dialogue. “And his unequivocal support for a Yes vote in the 2023 referendum is welcome as we walk in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.”

However, Marcia Langton, the eminent Indigenous leader who co-authored a 272-page report for the Morrison government, said on Tuesday Mr Leeser “remained confused”. This is because Mr Leeser – one of the constitutional conservatives credited with helping to devise the voice proposal – intends to argue for changes to the proposed wording agreed to last month by Indigenous leaders and Anthony Albanese.

“It shows some integrity by Julian Leeser to move to the backbench, knowing (his) more than a decade of work to establish constitutional recognition of First Peoples by ensuring the voice,” Professor Langton said.

“However, he insists that he will push for changing the referendum question. He has not made the task of advocating for a Yes vote easier.

“I will be interested to see his submission to the present joint select committee considering the bill. He remains confused and unable to arrive at the logical position of supporting the bill as it is, despite his protestations about his commitment arrived at 10 years ago.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced last week he would campaign against the voice.

Instead, he has said his priority is “a local and regional voice to listen to those local elders who live in the community, and to listen to what is going to make a practical outcome”.

Professor Langton has previously said that when she and Tom Calma proposed the same thing in their 2021 report – a national network of local and regional voices – the then Coalition government played along without intending to act.

Mark Leibler, co-chair of the 2012 expert panel on recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution and later co-chair of the Referendum Council, said Mr Leeser’s support for the Yes campaign was principled and informed.

“I have conveyed to (Mr Leeser) that he has my profound admiration,” Mr Leibler said.

Uphold & Recognise, a collaboration of constitutional conservatives who support recognition of Indigenous Australians through a voice, on Tuesday said it “looks forward to continuing to work with Julian Leeser, and any other members of the Liberal National parties who believe there is common ground to be found between those espousing the need to hear Indigenous voices and those concerned to uphold the fundamental principles of the Constitution”.