Ken Wyatt hits Young Lib No push as prejudice

Lib divisions over constitutional recognition have deepened after Ken Wyatt accused the youth division of racial prejudice.

Ken Wyatt says there was a core group in every segment of society that argued ‘with some rigour’ against measures to benefit indigenous people.

Divisions within the Liberal Party over constitutional recognition have deepened after West Australian frontbencher Ken Wyatt ­accused the state’s youth division of being prejudiced against ­Aboriginal people.

The WA Young Liberals have drafted a motion to put to the party’s state conference next week that calls on the Turnbull government to oppose recognition of ­indigenous Australians in the constitution and urges federal MPs to “prosecute the No case” if a ­referendum is held.

The move has prompted Mr Wyatt, the first Aboriginal man elected to the House of Representatives and Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, to coin the term “Aboriginal-sogyny”, saying there was a core group in every segment of society that argued “with some rigour” against measures to benefit indigenous people.

Commenting on the Young Liberals motion, Mr Wyatt told The Australian: “I’m going to be unkind, I’m going to use the word misogyny.

“It’s been used by women who have fought for their place, recognition and their equality in society against those who perpetuate the notion that women aren’t equal.

“I want to coin another word: Aboriginal-sogyny. Because if we look at those who oppose an issue and you ask them to articulate it, what they say is you are giving a group more equal rights when in fact it’s not; it’s about recognising the place of the original inhabitants within the constitution.”

The recognition debate has reignited this week after Cape York leader Noel Pearson called for a radical form of reconciliation that would insert a “hook” into the constitution from which further reform, such as a treaty-like process, could be delivered.

Mr Wyatt, who has been critical of Mr Pearson and Bill Shorten for complicating the path to constitutional recognition, said he would debate the Young Liberals’ motion on the floor and did not want to negate the right of people to raise an opposing view but hoped “common sense prevailed”.

WA Young Liberals president Aiden Depiazzi said he sympathised with Malcolm Turnbull’s call not to overcomplicate the referendum but said a party debate would be helpful, pointing out it could be one of the last opportunities to do so if there were a public vote in the first half of next year.

“While I know there are many members of the Liberal parliamentary party that do support (constitutional recognition), the fact is there are many who don’t,” he said. “Recent days just demonstrate the fact the Australian community doesn’t have a unified position on this. There are so many risks of the referendum proceeding that I don’t think have been accounted for.

“The constitution is a rule book that maps out how society is governed, how the commonwealth works. It’s not the right location to put a kind of statement that recognises that indigenous Australians were the First Australians.”

Mr Depiazzi said he suspected an amended version of the motion would pass state conference, to be held on August 13 and 14, after a similar vote succeeded last year.

WA Labor leader Mark McGowan has written to the Prime Minister urging him to halt the “divisive” motion, saying it went against the “national spirit towards reconciliation”.