Rudd urges Turnbull to heed Uluru Statement call

Kevin Rudd has pleaded with Malcolm Turnbull to reconsider his dismissal of constitutional recognition proposals.

Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull at yesterday’s anniversary breakfast. Picture: AAP

Kevin Rudd has pleaded with Malcolm Turnbull to reconsider his dismissal of constitutional recognition proposals, declaring that last year’s Uluru Statement From the Heart represented the “considered voice” of indigenous Australia.

Comparing it to historic ­moments such as the 1967 referendum on Aboriginal rights or the struggles for land rights and ­native title laws, Mr Rudd ­acknowledged that reaching each of those milestones had been “hard — until it was done”.

“And so too will it be with Uluru,” the former prime minister said. “The First Nations voice, and treaty. All hard, until it is done.”

The Prime Minister has dismissed the Referendum Council’s endorsement of the Uluru Statement, saying its constitutionally enshrined indigenous advisory body, or “voice”, would never win at a referendum.

Mr Turnbull ramped up his ­opposition yesterday, warning it would become “a big election issue” if Labor clung to a new plan, announced on Monday, to create the body in legislation and then proceed to a referendum should it win government.

“All of our national institutions should be open to every Australian, regardless of their background,” Mr Turnbull said, explaining that he had long ago told the Referendum Council that anything else was “inconsistent with a fundamental principle of our democracy”.

Mr Turnbull appeared to contradict his Indigenous Health Minister, Ken Wyatt, who said at the weekend the advisory body, established in legislation, was still on the table.

Earlier, Mr Rudd told a packed function commemorating his 2008 apology to the Stolen Generations that it was time to listen to what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders wanted, “rather than our interpretation of what we think indigenous Australia ought to be saying about their ­future”.

Mr Rudd said the Uluru Statement’s call for a “voice” and a makarrata commission to oversee treaty-making and truth-telling were “the considered claims of indigenous Australia and their leadership, assembled at Uluru” last May, after a nationwide series of consultations with more than 1300 indigenous Australians. “It is unfortunate that these were so ­casually brushed aside by the Prime Minister,” he said.

Some at the function were disappointed Mr Turnbull was present only briefly to have his photograph taken with Mr Rudd and others, but did not stay to ­address the audience.

However, a spokesman said organisers had been told several days ago the Prime Minister would not attend.