The Victorian Liberal Party has vowed to block the state's Treaty bill, which had been expected to be introduced to parliament this week but was delayed following the manhunt for an alleged police killer in the state's north-east.

Last week, the First Peoples' Assembly — the democratically elected body representing Traditional Owners in statewide Treaty negotiations — ratified the agreement.

Cabinet met on Monday and was understood to have endorsed the bill's introduction this week, but the fatal shooting of two police officers in Porepunkah —allegedly at the hands of "sovereign citizen" Dezi Freeman — prompted the state government to delay its tabling. Sources said the timing was inappropriate while the manhunt was ongoing.

Despite the delay, the Liberal Party reaffirmed its opposition, having withdrawn from the previously bipartisan Treaty process last year without first notifying the Assembly. The Opposition has repeatedly claimed the negotiations — conducted over the past year with updates from both the government and Assembly — lacked transparency.

"The Allan Labor government's rush to push Treaty through the parliament without proper scrutiny or transparency disrespects the parliament, erodes confidence in the process and removes important steps to achieve reconciliation," a Liberal Party statement said, as reported by the Herald Sun.

"The Liberals and Nationals do not believe that Treaty is the best way to close the gap and deliver better outcomes for Indigenous Victorians."

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Opposition spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs, Melina Bath, reiterated earlier this year that the party "do not support a Treaty, and we do not support a Victorian version of a Voice to Parliament".

If passed, the legislation would mark the first Treaty between an Australian state or the Commonwealth and Traditional Owners since colonisation. The bill builds on decades of calls for greater self-determination and would establish a permanent statutory Assembly with defined consultative and decision-making powers.

Earlier this month, the government and Assembly released a joint statement, saying: "Treaty is a pathway to acknowledging the past and making real, practical change to achieve better outcomes for First Peoples in Victoria and close the gap."

The most recent negotiations also included plans for a First Peoples Institute to strengthen leadership, proposals to trade water entitlements, and consideration of restoring traditional place names. While the Assembly would not hold veto powers, The Age reported it must be consulted on laws affecting First Peoples before being introduced to parliament.

Since its establishment five years ago, the First Peoples' Assembly has held two elections.

It is currently made up of 33 Traditional Owners representing geographic regions across the state and Registered Aboriginal Parties. Members elected during the 2023 election, branded as the 'Treaty election', were given a clear mandate to negotiate a Treaty with the state government.

Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg told The Age: "When it is just left in the hands of government, we have seen the status quo and that it doesn't deliver the outcomes that we need.

"This is really about creating a First Peoples-led body that is independent of government and can look and see what is and isn't working and make practical recommendations about what needs to change."

The government has strongly backed Treaty, and has used it as a point of contrast between the parties' treatment of First Peoples.

In May, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Natalie Hutchins stated: "If you listen to the people directly affected by policies, you get better outcomes, that's commonsense, and Traditional Owner groups are experts in their communities, languages, cultures and caring for Country.

"Treaty is about making a better and fairer state for every Victorian."