Liberal premiers break ranks with Peter Dutton as states back Voice to Parliament

Breaking ranks with Peter Dutton, two Liberal premiers have joined their Labor colleagues in declaring their support for a Voice to Parliament.

All state and territory leaders have backed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the Voice to Parliament. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

KEY POINTS:

• State and territory leaders have backed a Voice to Parliament.
• State Liberals broke ranks with Peter Dutton over a referendum.
• Federal Liberals were unmoved by a meeting with the Voice working group.

Two Liberal premiers have broken ranks with their federal colleagues, joining the other state and territory leaders to declare their support for a Voice to Parliament.

Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton was left unswayed by a meeting with the Voice working group on Thursday, continuing to argue there was insufficient public detail to back the proposal.

But in a statement of intent signed that evening, the eight state and territories committed to "working collaboratively" to ensure the referendum on the Voice is successful.

"We recognise this significant opportunity to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Peoples of Australia in our Constitution," the statement said.

"We also acknowledge the enduring strength of First Nations leadership and knowledge through the establishment of a Voice to the Australian Parliament on matters affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities."

Liberal Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has declared his support for the Voice. Source: AAP / JOSH AGNEW/AAPIMAGE

The leaders are in Canberra for a meeting of National Cabinet on Friday, where they will plead for a boost to federal funding for hospitals to fill a GP shortage.

The federal government has committed to putting the Voice to Parliament to a referendum at the end of the year, the first time Australians will vote on whether to change their constitution since 1999.

The federal National Party has already declared its intention to campaign against the proposal, while their senior coalition partner has so far refused to commit to a position.

But despite their federal colleagues' reluctance, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, both Liberals, had previously flagged their intention to back the Voice.

Along with all Labor premiers and chief minister, the pair committed to countering misinformation during the Voice debate and ensuring process is conducted "in a respectful and informed manner".

Peter Dutton is demanding more detail on the proposal. Source: AAP / GLENN CAMPBELL

The group also declared their intention to lay the groundwork for a post-referendum Australia, including arrangements at a regional and local level.

It is the latest divergence between conservative state and federal parties, after the WA Nationals declared they would back the Voice just hours after the federal party room confirmed its opposition.

Mr Dutton and federal Liberal Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser were both left unmoved by a meeting with the Voice working group at Parliament on Thursday.

In a statement soon after the meeting, which included a presentation from the Uluru Statement's co-chairs, Mr Dutton renewed his criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's approach to the referendum.

"Like all Australians, we come to this debate with goodwill and respect. The Prime Minister’s refusal to answer straightforward questions on how his Voice proposal will work is untenable. Australians deserve to be informed before voting at a referendum," he said.

Mr Leeser, who worked closely with then-Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt on the Voice co-design process, said the meeting did not teach him anything he did not already know.

"[But] we accepted the government's invitation to meet with them and we'd now like the government to accept our invitation to deal with the questions (we have) raised," he said.