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The federal National Party has confirmed it will not support a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
- The government plans to hold a referendum on a Voice to Parliament in the next 18 months
- The Nationals are the first major party to confirm they will campaign against the Voice
- They argue a Voice would do little to support Aboriginal people in regional communities
Leader David Littleproud said his party had consulted with regional communities across the country prior to reaching its decision.
“Unfortunately, we got to a position where we don’t believe this will genuinely close the gap,” he said.
The bulk of the Nationals party room stood alongside Mr Littleproud as he announced the decision.
NT senator Jacinta Nampiginpa Price, a Warlpiri-Celtic woman who has long campaigned against the Voice, said she was "very pleased" with where her party had landed on the issue.
"What we need now is practical measures and we have to stop dividing our nation along the lines of race," she said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to have a referendum on the Voice during his first term in power.
A Voice to Parliament would be a permanent body representing First Nations people that would advise government on Indigenous policy.
In July, Mr Albanese released a draft question that could be put to Australians.
By announcing their decision, the Nationals became the first major party to publicly campaign against the Voice.
The Liberal Party is yet to decide its position.
Mr Littleproud said he wanted to empower local people, rather than creating more bureaucracy in Canberra.
He said he was "proud" to lead a party that had the "courage to come forward and to say we stand with those Indigenous Australians to make sure they get their lives better not actually be symbolic".
The Nationals leader represents the western Queensland electorate of Maranoa, where he says Aboriginal elders have not been consulted about the Voice.
"Traditional owners in western Queensland, some of them said to me, 'I have no idea what this is, mate. It means nothing to me. It won't help me, so thanks for asking.'
"But the fact that no-one has asked them, then you have got to ask yourselves as an Australian, really, will they have a voice?"
The federal government, in last month's budget, committed millions of dollars to advancing its centrepiece Indigenous affairs policy, realising the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
A referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will receive $75 million, with the bulk of funds to go to the electoral commission for preparations and increasing the number of First Nations people enrolled to vote.
Australians have faced 44 referendums since Federation. Only eight have been successful.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock described the Nationals' decision as "profoundly disappointing".
Senator Nampijinpa Price said Australia did not need a Voice to Parliament to recognise Aboriginal people.
"Recognition is not the Voice to Parliament," she said.
"This is a bureaucratic structure, an entire new governance structure that we don't have details on that is supposed to be placed with some sort of priority over our current Westminster system."