KEY POINTS:
- Peter Dutton has warned the Voice working group it is on course for failure.
- It was the second meeting between the opposition and working group.
- Independent MPs have reiterated their support for the Voice.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has warned leaders of the campaign they are on course to fail, continuing to demand more detail on how the body will function.
Mr Dutton and Coalition Indigenous Australians spokesperson Julian Leeser met with the government's Voice working group on Thursday, their second sit-down following a meeting earlier this month.
But a group of Teal independents have reiterated their support for the body, after being urged by a senior Voice leader to "hold the line" with the debate "getting ugly now and [going to] get worse".
The Liberal Party is yet to reveal its position on the referendum,
Coalition Indigenous Australians spokesperson Julian Leeser was also present at the meeting. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
“We said at this point in time, we don't think that the referendum is on track for success," he told reporters.
“And that is because of two hurdles that we believe the government must clear. The first of those hurdles is around the lack of comfort with the wording of the amendment. Those words keep changing.
“The second is the lack of detail about how the body will work. People need to have that detail to understand what it is that they're going to vote for in a referendum.
Mr Leeser complained of a lack of "proper process" from the government, which is yet to formally adopt the Calma-Langton report - a 300-word document outlining how the Voice could look - despite regularly referring to it.
"We wanted to take the politics out of the meeting ... It is about letting the Australian people know what this body will look like, and being able to answer the reasonable questions that Peter and I and others are being asked every day," he said.
Addressing the group before the meeting began, Mr Dutton said all Australians shared a desire to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
"There can be debate about the pathway to get there and the next steps. But for us to, to be here with you is important and we're very keen to continue the discussion, so thank you very much," he said.
'Getting ugly'
Earlier, Uluru Dialogue co-chair Pat Anderson told a group of independent MPs the Yes campaign needed "all the friends we can possibly get".
"This is getting ugly now and it'll get worse. Hang in there and hold the line," she said.
Independent MP Allegra Spender said the fringes of any debate always had ugliness, and Indigenous Australians would be the ones affected by it in the lead-up to the referendum.
"Our responsibility as leaders is to have respectful discussions," she said.
Australians will have their questions about the voice answered through "yarning circles" with referendum supporters.
Uluru Statement from the Heart architects are launching a national program to enable people to participate in online sessions to increase their understanding of the proposed voice.
People can ask questions during the hour-long information sessions, which will run from Saturday as part of a national "week of action".
With additional reporting from AAP.
