A former prime minister of Australia has claimed that being colonised by the British was "the luckiest thing that happened" to the Pacific nation.
John Howard, who led the country from 1996 to 2007, predicted that the upcoming referendum to provide Indigenous communities a “voice” in national policymaking would "go down significantly".
Australians will cast their ballots in a referendum later this year on whether they support altering the constitution to include a "Voice to Parliament" – a committee to advise the House on matters that affect the lives of its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.
Mr Howard's Liberal Party of Australia has opposed the decision, while some party members campaigned against the national vote.
In an interview with The Australian to mark his 84th birthday on Wednesday, the second-longest serving prime minister said the government's "Yes campaign" has failed to explain how it will lead to better lives for Indigenous people.
"I am affronted that there's such deceit and there's such an unwillingness to roll up your sleeves and explain what's involved," he said, slamming current prime minister Antony Albanese.
He added that the focus should not be on the push for a dedicated "voice" for the Indigenous people, instead, the country should be “just talking about how to lift up Aboriginal people, and put them in the mainstream of the community, finding out ways of doing it".
Mr Howard dismissed the idea of reparations and treaties, describing the latter as “constitutionally repugnant”. He argued that treaties are made between sovereign states, not between a sovereign state and parts of that state.
He continued: "You have to understand that in the 17th, 18th century, colonisation of the land mass of Australia was next to inevitable ..."
"I do hold the view that the luckiest thing that happened to this country was being colonised by the British.
“Not that they were perfect by any means, but they were infinitely more successful and beneficent colonisers than other European countries.
