But prime minister says Labor’s consideration of an Indigenous treaty risks damaging constitutional recognition case

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Malcolm Turnbull has warned Labor’s consideration for an Indigenous treaty risks damaging the push for constitutional recognition and has urged Bill Shorten to remain focused on constitutional change.

Turnbull also agreed the colonisation of Australia could be fairly described as an “invasion”.

“Well, I think it can be fairly described as that and I’ve got no doubt obviously our first Aboriginal Australians describe it as an invasion,” he said.

However, Turnbull said the debate over whether the white settlement of Australia was an invasion was just a “historical argument about a word”.



“The facts are very well known. This country was Aboriginal land. It was occupied by Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years – 40,000 years.”



The prime minister said he knew from his experience leading the unsuccessful campaign for an Australian republic that constitutional change was difficult and required “enormous public support”.



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“Mr Shorten should have more discipline and more focus on ensuring we maintain support for constitutional recognition rather than introducing other concepts which will, in my view, undermine the prospects of getting the very high level of public support you need for constitutional recognition of our first Australians,” he said.

Turnbull added there was already a very high degree of public support for constitutional recognition as well as a bipartisan process, including a referendum council.

“To introduce another element, a treaty, the terms of which is unknown, the nature of which is unknown, adds a level of uncertainty that puts at risk the constitutional recognition process,” he said.

But Labor senator Patrick Dodson, a former member of the referendum council, disputed the prime minister’s characterisation, calling for a conversation about both a treaty and constitutional recognition .

“Mr Turnbull should lead on these matters, not follow,” Dodson said.

“Bipartisanship is critical to going forward on the pathway to reconciliation. These issues aren’t mutually exclusive. We need to talk about both.

“The constitutional change to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is the immediate priority and we await the outcomes from the referendum council’s constitutional conventions.

“But what flows from further parliamentary consideration has to be made meaningful in the eyes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“A conversation about these matters is well overdue and essential for the good of the nation. Both can be done.”

In 2015, the federal government committed to hold a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the preamble to the constitution and remove racist clauses from the founding document.



Those who support the recognition campaign, such as Labor senator Patrick Dodson, said as early as 2013 that it was the first step toward securing a treaty.

In May, Dodson also said constitutional recognition and a treaty were not “mutually exclusive”.

The opposition leader suggested Labor would consider a treaty as well as constitutional recognition while answering a question from the floor during ABC’s Q&A program on Monday night.

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On Tuesday, Shorten was campaigning in Perth with Labor’s candidate for Swan, human rights activist and Indigenous woman Tammy Solonec.



He described the prime minister’s comments regarding the treaty as “complete rubbish” and said both symbolism and practical recognition were necessary.



Shorten said Turnbull was trying to muddy the waters and insisted he was committed to listen to Indigenous voices on the issue. There has been ongoing debate within the Indigenous community on a treaty versus constitutional recognition.

“There is a level of cynicism amongst parts of theAustralian community that somehow constitutional reform in and of itself will deliver all the other outcomes,” Shorten said.

“It is very important and Mr Turnbull knows better than to throw rocks and try to muddy up the issues.

“This nation has been grappling with the equal treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders since 1788, we have not got it right,” he said.

“The fact that your skin colour is a more likely predictor in Australia of whether or not you will get a custodial sentence is unacceptable. For too long there’s been the wars between should you have symbolic recognition or practical reconciliation. I think both are important.”



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Turnbull said the debate about whether British colonisation was an invasion was an “argument about a word”.

“This was and is and always will be Aboriginal land,” Turnbull said.

“The issue is now how do we achieve that practical reconciliation? How do we achieve that? A key part of that is constitutional recognition.

“We want to see our first Australians recognised in the constitution in a form that speaks for and inspires our first Australians and that they can see as recognising their unique role as the first Australians and at the same time can secure the support of the majority of Australians and the majority of states because that is required to affect constitutional change.”