Peter Dutton’s Indigenous Affairs frontbencher set to ‘QUIT from shadow cabinet’

The coalition spokesman for Indigenous affairs is about to leave opposition leader Peter Dutton’s shadow cabinet over the Liberal party’s aversion to the vote.

Sky News reported that Julian Leeser is about to announce his resignation on Tuesday morning.

It comes after Mr Dutton announced last week that the Liberal Party will campaign against Anthony Albanese’s proposed Indigenous vote in parliament, as will his junior coalition partner the Nationals.

Mr Leeser, a longtime advocate of having an indigenous voice in the constitution, will hold a media conference at 11am AEST.

But on Facebook, he said that as a backbencher he would be free to campaign for The Voice as a “constitutional conservative” who favors a British monarch, King Charles, as Australia’s head of state.

His resignation from the Coalition frontbench comes just days after former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt resigned from the Liberal Party after making history in 2010 as the first Aboriginal member of the House of Representatives.

Andrew Gee left the Nationals in December to run as an independent on the same issue.

Mr Leeser told the National Press Club last week that more details were needed to get the Liberal Party to possibly support the proposed referendum.

“What we have seen – in word, deed and deed – is a rejection of the collaborative spirit that has characterized this process since 2014,” he said.

‘A good process ensures consensus. It helps narrow down the topics for debate in a referendum.

“But Labor is screwing this up.”

Mr Lesser also holds the prosperous seat of Berowra, taking up parts of Sydney’s upper north coast next to Bradfield, where a teal independent seriously challenged the Liberal Party’s dominance in a once-secure seat.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton (pictured with wife Kirilly) will campaign against the Voice like the Nationals