Indigenous recognition ‘risks race demon’, says Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd has warned that recognition for indigenous Australians could be faced with an ‘ugly’ no campaign.

Kevin Rudd has warned that constitutional recognition for indigenous Australians could be faced with a politically “ugly” no campaign, as he advocates for the broadest possible consensus on the referendum question to maximise its likely success.

Arguing that the “hazardous waters of a referendum” could yet derail what he says is a much-needed reform, the former prime minister also warns that any ­fracturing of bipartisan support on the recognition proposal could awaken the country’s “race demon”.

“The race demon has not yet been fully exorcised or expunged from our national soul,” he says.

Drawing on his experience of delivering the 2008 apology to the Stolen Generations, Mr Rudd will tell the 2015 Australian National University Reconciliation Lecture tonight that constitutional recognition is much more “politically difficult” than the apology, and carries more risk.

“I would, mindful of my direct experience in the preparation of the National Apology, caution against the rigidities of a debate that sees the perfect triumph over the good, only to see the perfect defeated in the potential political ugliness of a divisive referendum,” Mr Rudd will say.

“The apology was far from perfect, but we did manage to carry the nation with us.”

While insisting he is not advocating a “minimalist position” promoted by some constitutional conservatives, Mr Rudd says that obtaining bipartisan political support is essential to steer constitutional change “through the hazardous waters of a referendum”.

“A failure to obtain such support would most likely result in the proposal for a referendum dying before it was actually put to the people. Or if it was, we would run the greater risk of a divisive national debate on race which would deeply scar our as yet fragile tissue in the living process of reconciliation,” he says.

Calling for “the most expansive consensus possible” between indigenous Australians and the Australian political process, Mr Rudd says the nation must “get on with it” while public support is strong.

“I genuinely fear the loss of ­national political momentum on constitutional recognition. The Australian public want it.

“Let it not degenerate into a public bun fight. And let’s remember that an agreed form of constitutional recognition provides a better starting point for ultimate justice than the present constitutional silence.

“Even what some might call symbolic constitutional change can usher in a further era of substantive policy change.”