Australia’s ‘luckiest thing’ was being colonised by Britain, says former PM

John Howard, who led Australia from 1996 to 2007, made the remark to a newspaper in an interview about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people

The British weren’t ‘perfect by any means’, said the 84-year-old, ‘but they were infinitely more successful and beneficent colonisers’ than others

Reading Time:2 minutes

Australia’s then-Prime Minister John Howard (left) and his British counterpart Tony Blair pictured in 2006. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:02pm, 26 Jul 2023

One of Australia’s longest-serving prime ministers on Wednesday said British colonisation was “the luckiest thing that happened” to his country, while predicting a referendum to give indigenous communities a “voice” in national policymaking would fail.

Australia is expected to hold a referendum this year on whether to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people a constitutionally enshrined right to be consulted by the government on laws that affect them.

But conservative John Howard, who led Australia from 1996 until 2007, said Australians were yet to be told how this would lead to better health, education and social outcomes for indigenous people.

In an interview with The Australian newspaper published on Wednesday, Howard said: “I think it will go down significantly – that’s my sense.”

Supporters hold placards during a community event on July 2 in Sydney in support of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Howard said the issue should not be Australia’s focus. Photo: EPA-EFE

The 84-year-old said the focus should not be on the push for a dedicated “voice” for Indigenous Australians.

Instead, Australia 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”, he said.