FEDERAL Nationals leader David Littleproud says he doesn't want to get into a "slanging match" with Andrew Gee after the Calare MP upped the ante on his criticism of his former party.
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Mr Littleproud has insisted the Nationals are having a respectful debate about the proposed Voice to Parliament and if Mr Gee "wants to get into calling names and making accusations, that's up to him".
Mr Gee had some strong words about the Liberals and Nationals' approach to the debate over the Voice when he appeared at the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land on the weekend.
The Calare MP was quoted as saying at the festival that if "the conservative side of politics thinks that opposing the Voice in the way that they are... labelling it Orwellian or saying that it will re-racialise Australia ... if people think that is the way to political salvation, they have rocks in their head".
He also told the ABC's Radio National Breakfast that "the Voice is being weaponised politically for a number of reasons".
"Obviously it helps raise funds - I know this because I still get the emails saying 'the Voice is terrible, please give some money'," he said.
"They're doing it to shore up leadership positions, they're doing it just to have some ground to fight on.
"The hope that this is the pathway to victory is a bankrupt hope."
The Calare MP's latest criticism comes after he left the Nationals to become an independent in December last year and after he said in June that he had "no regrets whatsoever" about his decision.
Mr Littleproud has said a number of times that Mr Gee had been free to support the Voice to Parliament even though the federal Nationals were opposing it, but the Calare MP has been equally adamant that he was being muzzled on the topic last year before he made his shock decision to go independent.
The federal Nationals leader was quizzed at Parliament House on Monday, August 7 about Mr Gee's latest criticism of the conservatives.
"Oh, look, Andrew Gee is entitled to his own views, but I think his own electorate would be very interested," Mr Littleproud said.
A survey of 10,000 voters conducted by ACM (publisher of the Western Advocate) earlier this year found the "no" vote was 57 per cent in the regions and the "yes" vote just 35 per cent.
The online questionnaire was completed by readers of the ACM network's publications, including its Orange and Bathurst newspapers, which are part of the Calare federal electorate.
"This is an important decision for Australians to make," Mr Littleproud said during his media conference at Parliament House.
"Politicians will make their determinations and make their statements, but I think we need to create an environment and the Nationals will create the environment where we allow the Australian people with the right tone and the right respect to make this decision by themselves without the argy-bargy and the petty comments.
"And I don't intend to engage in that, and none of The Nationals have from the start. I'm proud of the way, the respect and tone that we set on this deeply personal decision for the Australian people. And that won't change."
Pressed on whether he agreed with Mr Gee that the debate had been weaponised politically, Mr Littleproud said he did not.
"I'm not going to get into a slanging match with Andrew Gee if he wants to stoop to that," he said.
"It's up to him. We're going to continue to treat this debate in a respectful way.
"And if Andrew wants to get into calling names and making accusations, that's up to him. We'll continue to have a respectful conversation with the Australian people."
Mr Gee appeared at two recent Voice to Parliament information sessions held at Bathurst.
One of them, at the Catholic Parish Centre, attracted 120 people.
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