Question Time dissolves into attacks as politicians stare down final sitting week before Voice referendum

As we enter the final few days of the last sitting week before the referendum, the Coalition dominated question time with several questions directed at Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney; questions that picked at the doubt and fears being stirred up by the "no" campaign outside these parliamentary halls.

The Coalition questioned whether the proposed Voice to Parliament was actually a slippery slope to bigger reforms, asking the Minister to reveal any government plans for Treaty making and clarify whether the Voice would be able to advise government on this or reparations.

Hitting the government from all sides, they grilled the government on whether a single advisory body would be able to properly represent all First Nations people, before later asking Ms Burney to explain what areas of government policy do not affect Indigenous Australians (and therefore, would fall outside the Voice's scope).

But Coalition MPs - as they did on Tuesday - also turned their attention to matters happening outside the chamber, asking the Minister to weigh in on comments from "yes" campaigner Professor Marcia Langton that the "no" campaign often included "base racism" and "sheer stupidity".

In the Upper House too, debate wavered from outcomes of the Voice to Parliament, to political attacks from both sides.

Liberal senator Michaelia Cash launched question time by calling on the government to condemn the reported comments from Professor Langton.

While Government Leader Penny Wong answered questions from the Coalition with the refrain that "fact not fear" should be the basis of debate, chaos spilled over when she in turn took aim at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Responding to a question from her own party, Senator Wong referenced Mr Dutton's pledge to hold a second referendum on Indigenous recognition in the consititution, should the Voice referendum fail.

"Although I note the shadow minister for Indigenous Affairs has publicly stated she does not support it," Senator Wong said.

"So more politics, more political games because Mr Dutton didn't do something when he had the chance and now someone else is trying to do something, he wants to tear it down."

This prompted outcry from Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price who began to deny the comment, before Senate president Sue Lines compelled her to take her seat in a fiery exchange, for not complying with Senate rules.

Meanwhile in the House of Representatives, Labor tried to score a few points of its own, seizing opportunities to accuse the "no" camp and Mr Dutton of running a campaign based on fear and misinformation.

The government's own Josh Wilson lobbed a dorothy dixer to Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, asking him why it was "important for the debate on the Voice referendum to be informed by the facts?"; a question that saw the Coalition dissolve into roars. From the gallery, you could hear some MPs below heckling Marcia Langton's name in vein.

"... the no campaign strategy has been to ignore the facts and instead to sow fear and division across our great country," Mr Dreyfus declared.

"An Opposition Leader with an ounce of decency would distance himself from a strategy based on disinformation and deceit ... Not this Opposition Leader. No claim is too outlandish, no claim is too sinister, no claim is too absurd for this Opposition Leader. He'll say anything, he'll do anything to spread confusion and divide our country."

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The House descended into a war of words as the Coalition accused the government of suggesting Mr Dutton had "improper motives".

"There is a difference between imputing motives and describing conduct," Mr Burke said, as the chamber was once again filled with cries.

But tensions reached a boiling point when Treasurer Jim Chalmers again took aim at Mr Dutton for embracing the "lies and misinformation" of the "no" campaign, declaring him "the chief propagandist".

The Treasurer accused the Coalition of proposing a second referendum should the Voice to Parliament fail, to ensure that "this will drag out for as long as possible to the leader of the opposition can drip more poison into the well" and "reap a political dividend from that" (a "disgraceful slur" as Opposition deputy leader Sussan Ley put it, that the Treasurer was forced to quickly withdraw).

Both sides have promised a respectful debate leading up to the referendum. But this sitting week has set the tone for a vitriolic and reactive final four weeks of campaigning, and a fractured parliament for leaders to return to.