Julian Leeser Resigns Amid 'No' Campaign Controversy
Shadow Attorney-General Accuses Campaign of Targeting Indigenous People
Labor Government and Aboriginal Leaders Commend Leeser's Speech
Canberra, April 11, 2023 - Shadow attorney-general and Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser has resigned from the Liberal Party after accusing the "No" campaign of attacking high-profile Aboriginal people in order to stir up fear among voters ahead of the upcoming referendum on Indigenous recognition.
Leeser's resignation comes after he delivered a powerful speech to the House of Representatives, in which he criticized the campaign against constitutional recognition as "cynical, divisive, and dishonest." He accused the "No" campaign of using "scare tactics and misinformation" to undermine the referendum, which would enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution.
The Labor government and Aboriginal leaders have praised Leeser's speech, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling it "a powerful and moving defense of the Uluru Statement from the Heart." Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar said that Leeser's speech "gave voice to the concerns of many Indigenous Australians about the way the 'No' campaign has been conducted."
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