'Do not rush to failure': Sussan Ley accused PM of putting the whole mission of reconciliation at risk

The Deputy Opposition Leader has used her debate on the referendum-establishing constitutional alteration bill to take aim at Anthony Albanese's advocacy for the Voice, saying he is taking the "low road" and has "hurled" insults at opponents when referring to them as "undertakers preparing the grave to bury Uluru" and "Chicken Littles".

But Ms Ley, who explained she will vote "no" to the Voice, has also urged hardliners on both sides of the referendum to take a long, hard look at the words they choose because "language matters, discourse matters".

She said the Prime Minister has extra responsibility.

"There is a special obligation on the Prime Minister to keep this debate respectful, because if he continues to descend into the gutter, how on earth can he lecture anyone else about the evils of joining him down there?" she told Parliament.

"Regardless of whether 'yes' narrowly wins, or narrowly loses, millions of Australians will vote 'no'.

"And they deserve better than their Prime Minister referring to them as 'undertakers preparing the grave to bury Uluru', 'Chicken Littles', or anything else with such deplorable connotations."

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On Monday night, Mr Albanese referred to "the great Chicken Little story" that the sky would fall in after the Apology to the Stolen Generations when he delivered the Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration. He said what happened instead in 2008 was a "moment of national unity".

Ms Ley told Parliament she will vote "no" with conviction but also with a heavy heart. She said if the Voice proposal was accompanied by legislated local and regional voices, then she would "enthusiastically vote 'yes'".

"The truth is that by pursuing his 'my way or the highway' approach, the Prime Minister is putting the whole mission of reconciliation at risk," she said.

"If the Prime Minister wants to achieve what he says he does, his first duty should be to bring all Australians with him. And there is no stopwatch on this process. There is no call to action that says it must be completed in the next few months.

"This timeline is entirely the Prime Minister's and I fear it is a political timeline."

Ms Ley is urging a rethink of running the referendum this year.

"I appeal to the Prime Minister: if you look into your heart and the heart of the nation you lead, and you see division, misunderstanding and yes, even fear, do not rush to failure," she said.

Earlier, the Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney told Parliament that Australians have everything to gain and nothing to lose by voting "yes" at the referendum later this year.

"Australians know in their hearts the time is now. We want a more united Australia. A more reconciled Australia," she said.

"Now is the time for all Australians to put their shoulder to the wheel."

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last week described the proposed Voice as an "overcorrection" for disadvantage and a "reckless roll of the dice" which would have an Orwellian effect and "take our country backwards, not forwards".

Mr Albanese later slammed Mr Dutton over his "desperate" views over the Voice, saying his words were "simply unworthy of the alternative prime minister of this nation".