John Howard slams ‘Yes’ vote tactics of Albanese government

With the date of the Voice referendum set, former PM John Howard has launched a blistering attack, and issued a blunt warning. Here’s what he had to say.

As the six-week Voice referendum campaign begins with the official announcement of the date of the vote, a former PM has issued a blunt warning to Anthony Albanese.

“Australians don’t want to be bullied,” John Howard declared in a blistering take-down of the Albanese government’s approach to the Voice to Parliament campaign.

On Tuesday night, Mr Howard pulled no punches in an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, declaring the Albanese government’s alliances with major corporations and sporting codes would do more to hinder the ‘Yes’ vote than help it.

Mr Howard lashed big business’s approach to the debate, calling Qantas’ ‘Yes’ decals on their planes “egregious” and called on organisations to let “hard-headed” Australians decide their stance themselves.

“Australians do not like being bullied, they do not like receiving condescending advice,” Mr Howard told host Sharri Markson.

“There’s no way a body like the AFL can know what the fans vote for, the NRL and Rugby Australia, I think it would just be better if they said nothing.

Former Australian PM John Howard has lashed out at the ‘Yes’ campaign as the Voice to parliament debate looms. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“We have this scepticism, ‘What are they up to, what do they want’, and I don’t think it’s going to help the Yes case.”

Mr Howard also cast doubt on the effectiveness of the big-spending Yes campaign, drawing comparisons with mining magnate Clive Palmer’s $120m 2022 election spend, which won him just one seat.

“There’s a lot of talk that the ‘Yes’ case has millions of dollars well I think Clive Palmer spent tens of millions of dollars with very little result,” Mr Howard said.

Mr Howard also took aim at the intricacies of the Voice debate, calling the ‘Yes’ campaign’s case “very weak” and the notion of treaty “absurd”.

“It’s an extraordinary muddle this government’s got themselves in here,” Mr Howard told Ms Markson.

“There is nothing more absurd that the notion of making a treaty (with Indigenous Australians). How can you make a treaty with yourself, treaties are between sovereign nations.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Yes campaign supporters. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Invoking late Labor prime minister Bob Hawke, Mr Howard said the voice proposal “defies” the very notion of being Australian, and claimed the body which would be set up the advise the government if the Voice passed would have a “coercive effect” on government decisions.

“This, after all, is the body which represents Indigenous people, and you’ve gone through all this trouble to insert it in the Constitution and now you’re going to ignore their advice. How can you possibly do that,” he said.

Mr Howard also took aim at Anthony Albanese’s “cavalier approach” toward explaining the intricacies of the Voice.

“I find it quite extraordinary, is that the Prime Minister and his colleagues are almost boasting about the fact they haven’t explained it,” he said, before accusing Mr Albanese of “not respecting the Australian people” by admitting he hadn’t read the entire Uluru Statement.

Anthony Albanese holds a press conference for The Voice referendum at the Sydney Opera House. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“I think if you want to change the constitution and you’re the Prime Minister, you should read every damn bit of paper about it you can possibly absorb in the time available,” Mr Howard said.

“By not explaining exactly what is involved, it’s not good enough for him in answer a question and say ‘Why would I read 26 pages’.

“You’ve got to learn, you’ve got to read a whole lot more than 26 pages to be a successful prime minister.”

Mr Howard, who has previously voiced his intention to vote ‘No’, urged other No voters to hold firm on their opposition to the move.

“(The ‘Yes’ vote) started off with a big lead, and as questions have arisen, that lead has whittled away,” he said.

“If you’re intending on voting no, hold hard to that intention, don’t be blinded by an avalanche of publicity … maintain the rage,” he said.