Former prime minister John Howard has backed Peter Dutton’s handling of the Voice debate as the Liberal leader faces internal backlash over his position on the referendum.
The resignation of Julian Leeser from his portfolios of indigenous affairs and attorney general marked the highest profile dissention from the party line since Mr Dutton took the leadership.
“I think Peter Dutton has handled himself in a calm, sensible way, he’s asked questions,” Mr Howard told Sky News Australia’s Jonathan Lea. "The failure of governments at different levels, I look at the Northern Territory, 15 years ago when I was prime minister we had an intervention in the Northern Territory and that was because of the failure of the territory government.
“I remain a loyal Liberal, fully committed to the leadership of Peter Dutton,” Mr Leeser said in Sydney on Tuesday. Liberal frontbenchers are bound to support the shadow cabinet’s position on the Voice, while backbenchers are free to stray from the party line. His ideal amendment would also remove “questions and doubts about activist judges” and ensure the language was “in keeping with the rest of the constitution”.
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