…With more of a whimper than a bang this time, though.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser has resigned as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, less than a week after the Liberals confirmed they will oppose an Indigenous voice in the constitution.
Leeser, who is a supporter of an Indigenous voice, announced in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday morning he had resigned so as to campaign for a yes vote in the referendum.
Leeser’s move was welcomed by fellow Liberals who support the voice, including MP Bridget Archer and senator Andrew Bragg, but is considered unlikely to trigger further resignations from shadow cabinet despite several moderates expressing concern about the party’s position in that forum.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, accepted the resignation, telling reporters in Brisbane it reflected that “his position is at odds with the overwhelming majority of the Liberal party members in our party room”.
Leeser told reporters in Sydney he hadn’t “been able to persuade” his colleagues to support a voice in the constitution.
“I resign without rancour or bitterness and remain a loyal Liberal, fully committed to the leadership of Peter Dutton,” he said.
And that’s why Julian Leeser can still go fuck himself, because apart from this one issue he’s still a toad for Dutton. And his own proposed model for the Voice involves removing its ability to actually advise parliament, so it’d have even less power than I think Labor will let it have. Quoth Julian also:
In the post, Leeser acknowledged “the support and good grace of Peter Dutton throughout the process and the faith he has shown in me”.
“However, on the voice referendum we find ourselves in different places. People of goodwill can disagree.”
At the press conference, Leeser added that Dutton came to the debate with an “open mind and a good heart” but claimed he had “not been able to engage” with the government because it had refused to answer 15 questions the opposition leader had posed.
This is Peter Dutton we’re talking about, a man with neither of those things and not a person of goodwill at all. I know Ken Wyatt’s resignation from the party over the Voice didn’t make any real difference to anyone except himself, but it felt like something, like an actual protest. Leeser’s bullshit is vacuous by comparison and I look forward to him going down with the ship.
