Liberals to debate members’ call to silence voice

West Australian Liberals will consider a motion calling for the party to ­oppose an Indigenous voice to parliament.

Former minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, who lost his seat in last month’s election, says he will vote yes in a referendum on the voice. Picture: Colin Murty

The West Australian arm of the Liberal Party will consider a ­motion calling for the party to ­oppose attempts to enshrine an Indigenous voice to parliament when its rank and file meet for July’s state conference.

The party, which is reeling from heavy defeats at the recent federal and state elections, will debate a motion from the party’s Fremantle division calling on the Dutton Liberal opposition “to oppose an Indigenous voice to parliament in light of the fact that almost a dozen Indigenous Australians have already made it into federal parliament on merit negating the need for arbitrary affirmative action policies”.

According to a copy of policy motions obtained by The Australian, the division of Canning has also moved a motion calling for the immediate dismantling of the Service WA Covid app.

The motion describes the app, which was rolled out when West Australians needed to prove their vaccination status and check-in to public venues, as a precursor to a “social credit system”. The motion describes the system as posing “the gravest of threats to our freedoms, liberty and way of life that is clearly against the values that our great party stands for”.

The opposition to an Indigenous voice comes just weeks after Anthony Albanese followed his election win with a pledge to take Australians to a referendum on the issue. Former minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, who lost his seat of Hasluck at the election, said after his defeat that he would vote yes in a referendum on the voice while Peter Dutton has said he was open to supporting a plan that was also accompanied by “practical responses”.

The list of motions put forward for state conference is also notable for its absences, with the division of Curtin – so long the bedrock of the party in WA – failing to submit any motions. It is believed to be the first time in memory that Curtin has not taken the opportunity to make a submission.

The federal seat of Curtin, once the party’s safest seat in the state, fell to teal independent Kate Chaney at the recent election.

Each division of the party, along with groups such as the Liberal Women’s Council, the Young Liberals and the Western Australian Union of Liberal Students, is able to submit up to three motions for consideration at each state conference where they are voted on by the party faithful.

While the results of those votes are non-binding on MPs, the motions give an insight into key issues and policy positions of the majority of those within each party division, and who ultimately help decide on candidate preselections.

The Fremantle division also put forward motions thanking senators Michaelia Cash, Linda Reynolds, Slade Brockman and Matt O’Sullivan and former senator Ben Small for their “principled and courageous” support for a Senate motion highlighting “alarm­ing” trends in gender dysphoria treatments and condemning transgender surgeries and treatment of children.

Both the Fremantle and Hasluck divisions also put forward motions calling for steps aimed at opening up the potential for nuclear power in Australia.

The Fremantle division, which is tightly linked to the conservative faction known broadly as The Clan, recently succeeded in applying for the party to begin expulsion proceedings against Perth property developer Nigel Satterley.

Mr Satterley, a long-time backer of the party, has in recent years become a fierce critic of the WA Liberals and the perceived influence of what he calls the “happy clappers” of the religious right.

July’s conference will also see contests for party president, vice-president and treasurer. Incumbent president Richard Wilson, who is pushing to introduce reforms to the party’s internal structures, will be challenged by James McLagan while a field of 10 will compete for the vice-presidency.

The party’s candidate for the seat of Perth at the last federal election, David Dwyer, will challenge incumbent Aiden Depiazzi for the role of party treasurer.