Pearson takes stick to minimalists

Prominent indigenous figure Noel Pearson has taken a swipe at minimalists who are advocating a symbolic change to the constitution by removing race clauses.

"Cosmetic surgery: a symbolic shot of Botox, ignoring the broken foot," he writes in The Australian on Monday of people like the prime minister's indigenous adviser Warren Mundine.

Mr Pearson, who is attending a meeting hosted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Labor leader Bill Shorten in Sydney, wants an all-in indigenous conference at Uluru to determine what should be put to a referendum.

Mr Mundine dismissed Mr Pearson's criticism as "a load of crap".

He also rejected as illogical the push for an advisory body to be written into the constitution.

"You're arguing that race gets taken out of the constitution ... and then all of a sudden you decide let's put another body in there that has constitutional standing," he told ABC radio.