Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley has accused the government of putting Indigenous reconciliation at risk due to the debate surrounding the voice to parliament.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made an impassioned call to opposition MPs in parliament to back the referendum, Ms Ley said the government had not provided enough detail on the issue.
"We support constitutional recognition of our first Australians, we understand how important that is, but the prime minister has tied that to a concept called the voice but he can't explain it," she told ABC Radio on Friday.
"So until he provides the details, I believe it's actually the Labor Party that is putting reconciliation at risk."
The referendum is due to be held in the second half of this year to enshrine the Indigenous voice to parliament in the constitution.
Legislation on how the referendum would be run is set to be introduced to parliament in March.
The prime minister said a committee would be set up at that point as well which would examine further detail of the voice.
He has called for bipartisan cooperation on the voice in order to ensure the referendum succeeds..
"I want the coalition to participate in it. I want the cross bench to participate in it. I want to maximise support for this. I make an offer here to the opposition to participate in that process in goodwill," he told parliament on Thursday.
"This is a major issue. I cannot do more than stand here, in this parliament, and offer a genuine engagement in order to achieve a positive outcome."
Ms Ley said the government needed to provide further detail on how the Indigenous voice to parliament would operate.
"We aren't sure what that (committee process) will lead to, because we don't really have any guardrails around a final outcome with detail that lands exactly where we want to, which is in the health and welfare of Indigenous Australians," she said.
"It's not clear to the people of Australia what's going on."
Mr Albanese said the referendum was the best opportunity at Indigenous recognition.
"There are people of good will in faith groups, in sporting organisations, in the business community and in civil society groups but, most importantly, among Indigenous Australians themselves who want this change and have waited a long time," he said.
"If we do not recognise Indigenous Australians in our Constitution this year, when will we?"
