“I’m very saddened by the response of the Liberal Party today. Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley ... spoke all about politics and all about politicians. They know full well this isn’t something that’s come from politicians,this is something that’s come from the ground up,from Indigenous people themselves.”

Dutton said his party room wanted the best possible outcomes for Indigenous Australians and that a Voice to parliament in Canberra would not resolve the issues in Indigenous communities.

“The Liberal Party resolved today to say yes to constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians,yes to a local and regional body,so we can get practical outcomes for Indigenous people on the ground[but] there was a resounding no to the prime minister’s Voice,” he said.

Deputy leader Sussan Ley said the prime minister had displayed “breathtaking arrogance” and had acted in an unbecoming manner throughout the Voice debate.

“It’s his timeline,it’s his question and his refusal to meet anyone else halfway on anything is breathtaking in its arrogance,” she said.

The Liberals’ formal opposition to the Voice brings them in line with their Coalition colleagues in the Nationals,who came out against the Voice last November.

On Wednesday,National Party leader David Littleproud welcomed Dutton’s move and argued that if the prime minister “wanted to be constructive”,he should rework the constitutional amendment proposal to take in Coalition concerns.

“When you’ve got three political parties,basically with different views,it’s now important for the prime minister to reflect,to understand,and about his opportunity to lead this country in a direction that brings us together,” Littleproud said.

The Liberal Party’s decision was immediately criticised by Labor,the Greens,pro-Voice campaigners and Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer,who all vowed to continue the campaign for a Yes vote.

One of the Voice proposal’s leaders,chair of Lowitja Foundation Pat Anderson,released a statement saying the Indigenous community strongly supported enshrining the Voice in the constitution,not the symbolic recognition backed by the Coalition.

‘The rest of the country is starting to reckon with its past as we march towards a treaty,but Peter Dutton is trying to ignite a culture war.’

Adam Bandt,Greens leader

“After 12 years,seven processes and 10 reports,the Liberal Party have made a decision to campaign for a ‘No’ vote,” she said.

“This ignores the majority of First Nations peoples at the grassroots across the country ... Their decision is a vote for business as usual.”

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said Dutton had met Albanese seven times over the Voice and not made any proposed changes to the constitutional amendment.

“If Mr Dutton supported the Voice,he would have supported[former Liberal minister] Ken Wyatt’s proposal in the Morrison government. And he didn’t,” she said.

Albanese has told colleagues that bipartisan support for the Voice referendum was not essential because modern voters were less attached to the positions of major parties and more able to be swayed to support a change.

Archer said she would cross the floor if necessary to back the Yes vote and vowed “I will campaign actively for the Yes campaign...I will not in any way attach myself to a vote No”.

Shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser,who has long supported constitutional recognition but who set out the Liberals’ concerns about the current proposal at the National Press Club on Monday,did not appear alongside Dutton and Ley.

Greens leader Adam Bandt accused the Liberals of being “a small racist rump sliding into irrelevance” and promised his party would campaign strongly for the Yes vote.

“The rest of the country is starting to reckon with its past as we march towards a treaty,but Peter Dutton is trying to ignite a culture war,” Bandt said.

Arnold Bloch Leibler partner and Referendum Council member Mark Leibler said the Voice process had been the most systematic,comprehensive and culturally sensitive consultation.

“The leader of the opposition says he and his party support constitutional recognition,yet how on earth can he or anyone else genuinely support recognition but reject the form of recognition favoured by the people we seek to recognise?” he said.

Dean Parkin,the director of the Yes campaign,said the decision to oppose the Voice “was made by a number of politicians in Canberra,[but] the referendum is a decision for the Australian people”.

“Indigenous people have put their faith in the people of Australia,because they will get it right,” he said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczukcriticised the lack of information from the Albanese government for lagging support for the Indigenous Voice to federal parliament in her state.

“I think people are after the detail,and I can understand,there would be some hesitancy ... so I’ll be I’ll be talking to the prime minister about how they can put[out] clear information,” she said.

With Matt Dennien

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley.Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.