Aboriginal elder slams Peter Dutton for ‘Judas-style treason’ in vote in Parliament

Indigenous activist and Voice to Parliament supporter Noel Pearson has condemned Peter Dutton for his “Judas betrayal of the country” by defying the Voice.

Mr Dutton announced on Wednesday that the Liberal Party would oppose Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s policies in their current form.

On the back of the announcement – which did not surprise many after weeks of Mr Dutton and senior Liberals questioning the mechanics of the vote – Mr Pearson revealed he was struggling to sleep.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, I was troubled by dreams and the Dutton Liberal Party’s betrayal of our country by Judas,” he told RN Breakfast.

“I firmly believe that the Liberal Party and Dutton are far from in tune with the sentiment of Australians that is at stake here [Dutton’s] Liberal vs Labor calculations rather than what is good for the country.

“He doesn’t mind throwing Indigenous Australians and the country’s future under the bus to protect his pathetic political stash… and it’s sad.”

The Liberal Party Hall voted on Wednesday to reject the government’s proposed model for an indigenous body called the Voice, which would be officially recognized in the constitution and deliberate on any proposed legislation affecting Aboriginal people and Torres Strait.

Liberals will now fight the vote in the forthcoming referendum and would instead propose local and regional votes that would be enshrined in law but not embedded in the constitution.

However, Mr Pearson argued the coalition had 11 years in power to enact a “proper proposal for recognition”.

“I see Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton as the undertaker preparing the grave to bury Uluru and I think this is a very sad day for Australia that we cannot have bipartisanship in this important national enterprise .”

Mr Pearson said it was important that supporters of The Voice “meet hate with love, fear with understanding, negativity with hope” and most importantly “don’t think about failure”.

He refuses to believe that this decision will be reflected in a referendum later this year and that Parliament’s vote will be rejected.

“That will never happen. Peter Dutton’s decision will motivate people a lot. It makes it very clear what the decision is,” he said.