Conservative think-tank chairman Sean Gordon to co-lead Liberals for Yes campaign

Referendum working group member and Uphold and Recognise chairman Sean Gordon will lead the Liberals for Yes campaign alongside former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell.

Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council chief executive Sean Gordon. He has just returned from big conference at Uluru where they called for greater constitutional recognition for indigenous people. Picture: Sue Graham

Referendum working group member and chairman of the conservative think-tank Uphold and Recognise, Sean Gordon, will lead the Liberals for Yes campaign alongside former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell, ahead of the referendum on the Indigenous voice to parliament.

The Liberals for Yes, which include federal opposition backbenchers Julian Leeser and Bridget Archer, officially launched their campaign advocating for the voice earlier this month, arguing the meaningful recognition of Indigenous Australians through a voice to parliament would deliver “practical policy and practical outcomes”.

The Australian can reveal Uphold and Recognise, which was founded by Mr Leeser and whose board members include former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt, will formally join the Liberals for Yes this week.

Julian Leeser. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Ken Wyatt. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sharon Smith

It follows a hardening of the No campaigns – whose key figures include Country-Liberal Party senator Jacinta Price and former MP Warren Mundine – which claim the voice will divide Australia on the basis of race and create legal risks by enshrining the body in the constitution.

Newspoll last week revealed only 46 per cent of voters approve of ­altering the constitution to give effect to an Indigenous voice as proposed by the federal government.

Mr Gordon, who will serve as joint national convener of Liberals for Yes alongside Ms Carnell, said joining the campaign was the “natural next step” for his organisation.

“Our purpose has been to advocate for constitutional recognition in a way that can support practical outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” he said.

“The question of constitutional recognition will shortly be out of the parliament and placed in the hands of the Australian people. We want those who have been on the journey with Uphold and Recognise to take this final step with us, and support the Yes vote.”

Mr Gordon – who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia this week for his service and advocacy in Indigenous affairs – is one of many pro-Yes campaigners who has expressed concern over the inclusion of “executive government” in the wording of the constitutional amendment and told The Australian last month he believed the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry examining the wording was “poor”. He said the tabling of “a single recommendation” by the Labor-dominated committee to pass the amendment with no changes was “very inconsiderate” of those who had urged for the wording to be tweaked to limit the voice’s power to advise executive government.

The prominent Indigenous businessman also raised the concerns over the wording within the government’s referendum working group, but was ultimately outnumbered in the view executive government should remain in the amendment. Despite any lingering reservations, Mr Gordon said he would focus completely on campaigning for a Yes vote at the referendum, due between October and December.

“We now have clarity on the constitutional amendment that will recognise Indigenous Australians by creating a voice, whose functions and powers can be defined and adjusted by the parliament as appropriate,” he said.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson said earlier this month it was important that executive government remain “in the scope” of the voice, but noted there had been last-minute changes to limit this power.

“There was a tweak done by Albanese and my Indigenous colleagues, they tweaked the provision just before it was tabled in the parliament to make it very clear that parliament can legislate to define how the advice is provided to the executive,” he told Sky News.

Kate Carnell.

Ms Carnell welcomed Uphold and Recognise being part of the Liberals for Yes campaign, given the organisation had been “a key driving force in Liberal circles and at the national level for constitutional recognition” for more than a decade.

“I am pleased to be working with Sean Gordon to encourage Liberals, Liberal voters and Liberal-minded people to encourage a resounding Yes vote when Australians vote later this year,” she said. “Constitutional recognition through a voice is a cause that brings Australians together and alongside Sean and the Uphold and Recognise team we will be working to make that happen.”

The constitutional amendment is set to pass parliament in the coming fortnight.