Colonisation by British 'luckiest thing' to happen to Australia - John Howard

Colonisation was "the luckiest happening that happened" to Australia, the nation's second-longest serving Prime Minister John Howard has said.

His remarks were made successful narration to a historical referendum owed to instrumentality spot this twelvemonth connected Indigenous recognition.

If successful, the ballot volition alteration Australia's constitution to springiness First Nations peoples a greater accidental implicit the laws and policies that impact them.

But the statement has seen a surge of divisive commentary.

Speaking to the Australian Newspaper astir the upcoming vote, Mr Howard described colonisation arsenic "inevitable".

"I bash clasp the presumption that the luckiest happening that happened to this state was being colonised by the British," helium said. "Not that they were cleanable by immoderate means, but they were infinitely much palmy and beneficent colonisers than different European countries."

He besides predicted that the Voice to Parliament inaugural would neglect to pass, leaving a "new cockpit of conflict" implicit "how to assistance Indigenous people" successful its wake, portion accusing its proponents of failing to merchantability it to the Australian public.

The Voice vote, Australia's archetypal referendum since 1999, was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese astatine the commencement of 2023.

If passed, its supporters accidental it volition pb to amended outcomes for Australia's First Nations people, who look little beingness expectancy, and disproportionately poorer wellness and acquisition outcomes than White Australians.

But those against it reason - among different things - that the Voice is simply a mostly symbolic motion which volition neglect to enact reform, portion besides undermining Australia's existing authorities structures.

Recent polling has besides shown a dependable - yet melodramatic - diminution successful nationalist enactment for the Voice, arsenic the statement grows much protracted.

Mr Howard is 1 of the astir influential blimpish figures to propulsion his value down the No campaign, but his ain bequest connected Indigenous affairs remains controversial.

His authorities weakened First Nations onshore rights, suspended Australia's radical favoritism act, and refused to apologise to the Stolen Generations - tens of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were taken from their families by the authorities until the mid-1960s.

And successful 2007 helium was the designer of "the Intervention", a acceptable of policies which saw Australia's subject deployed to prehend power of regular beingness successful 73 distant Indigenous communities crossed the Northern Territory.

The present disbanded strategy - which was enacted pursuing a authorities study connected the intersexual maltreatment of children successful Aboriginal communities - has been criticised arsenic "coercive" and culturally insensitive.

Mr Howard defended the argumentation successful his interrogation connected Wednesday arsenic "a bully old-fashioned dose of due governance".

He besides claimed that if the Voice succeeds, it could forestall the authorities from intervening successful Indigenous communities erstwhile it is deemed necessary.

Mr Howard's remarks travel amid a question of contention that has gripped the referendum's authoritative No campaign.

This week, 1 of its leaders faced calls to resign aft doubling down connected comments that Indigenous Australians should acquisition humor tests to beryllium their lineage, to person payment payments.

And earlier this month, the run was accused of utilizing a "racist trope" successful a paper ad, aft it paid for a full-page cartoon depicting a salient Indigenous Voice campaigner dancing for money.

Senior figures wrong the No camp's ranks person besides been accused of intentionally spreading falsehoods astir the vote.

Among them is national absorption person Peter Dutton, who warned that the ballot would person an "Orwellian effect" connected Australian society, by giving First Nations radical greater rights and privileges.

It's a assertion that has been further distorted online - and debunked - with societal media users suggesting the ballot would disagreement Australians into "settlers" and "original custodians" resulting successful a "two-tier government".

If the Voice referendum passes, it volition alteration the nation's constitution for the archetypal clip successful much than 56 years.