Our Very Own Brexit
Australia’s Hollow Politics and Where It Could Lead Us
Could Australia have a Brexit moment?
There is a rarely spoken truth at the heart of Australian politics: it is dominated by two parties that voters no longer care about.
Around the democratic West, the public is drifting away from major parties, and politics is becoming hollow. In Europe, populists have been the beneficiaries. In Britain, the result was Brexit.
Australian politics is hollow too. One of our declining parties could, in desperation, exploit an issue that ties Australia to Asia and which will determine our future security: immigration.
Contents
Foreword by George Megalogenis............xi
Introduction...............................................1
1. Britain, Europe and the hollowing
out of democratic politics.......................13
2. Hollowing out in Australia...................31
3. An Australian Brexit.............................53
4. Hollow and helpless in Asia................69
Conclusion: Decay without renewal.....103
Endnotes..................................................111
Acknowledgements................................127
Photo: Alex Ware/Unsplash
