Legal quirk could force some opposition MPs to vote against holding Indigenous voice referendum

Exclusive: politicians can only contribute to official campaign essays according to how they vote on constitutional alteration bill

• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Some Coalition members may have to vote against holding a referendum on the Indigenous voice to parliament, in order to skirt a quirk in federal law which would otherwise block them from contributing to the official referendum pamphlet.

The federal Liberals and Nationals have resolved to campaign against the establishment of an Indigenous voice, but the Coalition leader, Peter Dutton, has said they support the bill on the actual staging of the referendum itself, so Australians can have their say.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup