Australian Politics: Julian Leeser Quits Cabinet, Offers Support of Voice to Parliament

Australian shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser quits liberal frontbench
Leeser's decision was made so that he could campaign in support of a Voice to Parliament
Opposition leader Peter Dutton last week said that Liberals would support a Voice

Shadow Attorney-General and Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser announced he was quitting the Liberal frontbench in support of a campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The announcement comes after last week when opposition leader Peter Dutton said that Liberals would be offering any support to a constitutionally enshrined Voice. He also vowed to actively campaign in opposition to the Voice in the lead-up to the referendum.

Julian Leeser Quits Cabinet

Leeser's announcement came as he has been considered a longtime supporter of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. He said that over the past year, he had many respectful discussions with his parliamentary colleagues regarding the Voice.

He noted that he has listened to their views and expressed his to them but argued that, ultimately, he could not persuade them. Leeser was not present when Dutton announced the Liberal policy, which the latter explained was because of the former's return to Sydney for Passover, as per ABC.net.

Frontbenchers are required to follow party policies under Liberal rules, but backbenchers are given a different set of conditions. Leeser said that his resignation as a frontbencher was not rooted in personality but rather, keeping faith with an issue he has been working on for nearly a decade.

The lawmaker will remain in the Australian parliament and plans to change the wording that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed last month. Even if he is unsuccessful in this endeavor, he will continue campaigning for the Voice.

During a press conference, Leeser said he believes the time has come for the Voice to be center stage. The lawmaker noted that he believed in local and regional Voices and a national Voice drawn from local and regional bodies. He plans to support the referendum that is being put in this year.

Australian Opposition Leader's Thoughts on Leeser

Following the announcement, several Indigenous Australian ministers have backed Leeser's decision to step down. Linda Burney welcomed her colleague's move, arguing that she expected it was a difficult decision to make for Leeser, according to The Guardian.

Tensions have also run high in Australian politics after Dutton called on the prime minister to apologize to Leeser for "disgraceful" personal attacks. This comes after Albanese spent several weeks underscoring Leeser's past remarks on his support for the Voice to Parliament.

Dutton said that Leeser was a "great advocate of many causes" and considered him a man of great character and strength. The opposition leader said the personal attacks against his colleague over the past couple of months have been disgraceful.

Another lawmaker who weighed in on Leeser's resignation is Liberal MP Bridget Archer, who said she was proud of the shadow attorney-general for making his decision. She noted that that decision required courage and integrity, said the Sydney Morning Herald.