Prime Minister Urges Vigilance Against Return to Past: One Nation’s Rise Sparks Debate on Immigration and Multiculturalism
Australia’s Prime Minister has issued a stark warning, urging the nation to remain “vigilant” against political forces aiming to revert to a less inclusive era. This call to action comes in the wake of a significant shift in the South Australian election landscape, where the far-right One Nation party surged ahead of the Liberal Party. One Nation’s platform, which prominently features opposition to immigration and multiculturalism, appears to have resonated with a segment of the electorate, prompting a national conversation about Australia’s identity and future.
With preliminary results indicating One Nation secured approximately 22 per cent of the vote in South Australia, surpassing the Liberals’ 19 per cent, the swing against the Liberal Party has been substantial, estimated at a remarkable 16.9 per cent. This seismic shift has largely benefited One Nation, underscoring the growing influence of their anti-immigration sentiment.
One Nation’s federal policy proposals are notably stringent. They advocate for the deportation of an estimated 75,000 migrants currently residing in Australia on overstayed visas. Furthermore, the party proposes capping annual visa grants at 130,000 and implementing a ban on migration from countries deemed to “foster extremist ideologies.” Their opposition to multiculturalism is a cornerstone of their political agenda.
Barnaby Joyce, who defected to One Nation last year, articulated the party’s perspective on assimilation, stating to Sky News that any discontent with their demands for conformity should be voiced. He argued that cultural fragmentation, or “cultural Balkanisation,” inevitably leads to societal friction, conflict, and even violence.
“We took a long while to get over the Catholic-Protestant thing, and we don’t want to go back there again,” Mr Joyce remarked, drawing a parallel to historical religious divisions. “There has got to be a form of assimilation … you have to conform with an Australian culture no matter where you come from.”
Labor’s Strong Defence of Multiculturalism
The anti-immigration stance of One Nation is not new, dating back to the party’s inception in the 1990s. However, its electoral impact has historically been limited to a small fraction of the federal vote. Mr Joyce suggested that the South Australian election outcome signals a departure from this trend, indicating that One Nation is no longer a fringe political entity, a sentiment echoed by months of polling.
During his victory speech, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas recounted an interaction at a polling booth with a Vietnamese man who expressed profound pride in his ability to vote. The Premier then recited a poem on patriotism penned by Henry Lawson shortly after Australia’s federation. The verses highlighted a sentiment of national pride coupled with an acknowledgement of the need to welcome and integrate newcomers.
Premier Malinauskas elaborated on this distinct Australian patriotism, describing it as a spirit that sometimes involves casual camaraderie and spirited debate on shared interests like sports, rather than on deeply held beliefs or faiths.
Prime Minister Champions Diversity as a National Strength
Speaking at an event honouring Vietnamese Australians, the Prime Minister launched a robust defence of multiculturalism. He posited that Australia, at its finest, serves as a global exemplar of how a nation can be profoundly enriched by the convergence of individuals from diverse faiths and backgrounds.
The Prime Minister drew a historical parallel, noting that it was only shortly before the significant wave of Vietnamese refugees arrived in Australia in the late 1970s that the then-Whitlam government officially dismantled the discriminatory White Australia policy, which had long restricted non-European immigration.
“We need to be vigilant. There are some, including some in political life [who] want to turn back the clock to an Australia that is no longer who we are, and we need to call out those people, and we need to continue to cherish our diversity as a strength for our nation, which it is,” the Prime Minister stated emphatically. He underscored the invaluable contributions of immigrants across all sectors of Australian society, from healthcare and education to construction and academia, stressing that these contributions should not be taken for granted.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has unfortunately exacerbated social tensions within Australia. This was evident when the Prime Minister faced heckling regarding the government’s position on the conflict during an Eid prayer service at a mosque in Lakemba, Sydney. These social undercurrents, coupled with the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach last year, have intensified the national discourse surrounding immigration.
Calls for Migration Reduction Amidst Infrastructure Concerns
Liberal South Australian Senator Alex Antic posited that One Nation’s electoral success in the state election was a direct response from voters who felt their voices on the issue of “mass migration” had been ignored.
“This is the reality of the Australia we have created. It is a very, very different place … we now are seeing an Australia which is divided on a range of grounds, some of them religious, some of them demographics of economics,” Senator Antic remarked. He expressed doubt that Australians had ever consented to the levels of migration being witnessed.
Net overseas migration has seen a significant decrease from its peak of 755,000 in the year ending September 2023, following the reopening of borders post-pandemic. The figure has now fallen to approximately 306,000 for the last financial year. Despite this reduction, which has brought migration rates closer to pre-COVID levels, the issue remains a prominent concern for many voters. Polling from the Lowy Institute indicates that a majority of Australians still believe the migration rate is too high.
Shadow Immigration Minister Jonno Duniam echoed concerns about the pace of migration, suggesting that while the rate has returned to its long-term average, Australia requires time for its infrastructure and essential services to adequately accommodate the population.
“It’d be fine to bring those people in if you had put in place the houses, the hospital beds, the schooling places, the roads and rail needed for them to get about efficiently, all of that would be fine. But the reality is we haven’t,” Senator Duniam told 2GB. “We’ve got to catch up with what people in this country need in order to preserve the way of life we have.”
However, Australia simultaneously faces critical workforce shortages in vital sectors such as healthcare and housing construction, making migration an essential component for filling these gaps. The Coalition’s campaign for the 2025 federal election included a pledge to drastically reduce migration to alleviate pressure on housing. Paradoxically, this policy was presented during what was the worst electoral defeat in the party’s history.
