Anthony Albanese urged to embrace ‘game-changer’ voice to parliament model proposed by Julian Leeser

Liberal moderate Simon Birmingham has urged Anthony Albanese to embrace Coalition MP Julian Leeser’s model for an Indigenous voice to parliament, saying it could be a ‘game-changer’.

Opposition frontbencher Simon Birmingham says Julian Leeser’s pathway, ‘to narrow the scope of the constitutional changes’, could be ‘a game-changer for many Australians’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Liberal moderate Simon Birmingham has urged Anthony Albanese to embrace Coalition MP Julian Leeser’s model for an Indigenous voice to parliament, rejected by shadow cabinet, saying it could be a “game-changer for many Australians”.

The appeal to the government to consider changing its constitutional amendment came as Peter Dutton visited Alice Springs and declared nothing had changed there in six months and crime and sex abuse in the town could not wait for the voice to be operational.

Ramping up his offensive against the voice, the Opposition Leader said the Prime Minister and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney needed to roll up their sleeves, listen and take ­action to help the people of Alice Springs.

A growing number of Liberal MPs say they would consider backing a “constitutionally minimalist” approach like the Leeser model, which goes against the party’s decision to reject enshrining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice in the Constitution.

Under Mr Leeser’s proposal, which he has quit the frontbench to advocate, a voice would still be established in the Constitution.

Parliament would be given the power to legislate everything about the advisory body – including who in the executive government it could talk to and what it could talk about – in a bid to minimise legal challenges and doubt over how the voice would operate and interact with government.

Senator Birmingham said he hadn’t considered following Mr Leeser’s lead to resign from the frontbench “at this stage” but would take counsel from his colleague. He hoped his model could be used to “salvage” the voice.

“I outlined two pathways there for the government, either Peter Dutton’s offer for full bipartisan support for constitutional recognition, or at least for the government to consider Julian Leeser’s pathway, which is for them to narrow the scope of the constitutional changes they are proposing to still provide for a voice but to make a profound difference in approach than the one currently under way from the government, which I think could be a game-changer for many Australians,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News.

“I’m hoping there is still room for some type of consensus to be salvaged … I’ve said for a long time that I don’t wish to see an unsuccessful referendum put forward to the Australian people.”

Senator Birmingham said he had no intention of actively campaigning No, as Mr Dutton will do. Many shadow cabinet ministers – including deputy leader Sussan Ley – refuse to say how they will campaign.

Appearing with former Liberal Ken Wyatt, who quit the party last week over its stance on the voice, Ms Burney said Mr Albanese was “open to better suggestions” about the wording of the constitutional amendment for the voice while endorsing the current proposed amendment as necessary and carefully arrived at.

Many Liberals are sceptical the government will change its proposed constitutional amendment.

Ms Burney on Wednesday said the government would listen to concerns about the amendment as part of the parliamentary committee process, with public hearings beginning on Friday. “Of course, the PM has made it very clear he is open to better suggestions and other suggestions,” she said.

“But the wording has not come out of thin air. The wording that is in front of the parliament – the question and three amendments to the Constitution – have been worked through for years and years and years, months and months and months and weeks and weeks and weeks, and the government has taken its direction from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.”

Mr Dutton said the people of Alice Springs “deserve to be heard” by Mr Albanese, who is on leave this week, but he was not listening or acting. The government was approached for comment.

The government announced a $250m plan for Central Australia earlier this year to improve community safety, tackle alcohol-­related harm and provide more opportunities for young people, as well as $25m for frontline organisations in Alice Springs.

“Nothing has changed from when I was here in October,” Mr Dutton said.

“The same stories about break-ins, about stolen cards, about risk to human life, about the sexual assault of young boys and girls.

“Regardless of your view on the voice, we need to see help and assistance on the ground here to restore law and order and to make sure that people can go about their lives … safely.”

Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer, who will campaign Yes, said she was not a constitutional conservative but was open to Mr Leeser’s model if it improved the chances of the referendum being carried.

The Australian spoke to several other Liberal MPs on Wednesday, who asked to remain anonymous but who believed the Leeser model would make constitutional recognition through a voice more palatable to conservatives.

WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds said the government should deal with constitutional recognition separately to the voice. South Australian Liberal MP James Stevens said he shared Mr Leeser’s concerns about the scope of the voice’s powers but, like Senator Reynolds, remained opposed to a constitutionally enshrined voice in principle.

Queensland Liberal MP Warren Entsch said the parliament should prioritise constitutional recognition then legislate local and regional voices – which could be put in the Constitution “after we know it’s going to work”.