We may like to snipe at Germaine et al, but we don't revile most expats

For example, we asked about Australians who "have been overseas for many years and have no plans to return home". Sixty-two per cent of all respondents identified these people as "real" Australians. However, the responses varied substantially depending on age: whereas 73 per cent of respondents under 30 said they thought of these long-term expats as "real" Australians, only 38 per cent of respondents over 65 agreed.

These are significant results, and they indicate that the community may have a better grasp of the realities of globalisation than some of our opinion leaders. To focus on the Germaines of this world is to miss the real story about Australian expats - and it's a good story.

Australia's diaspora is big - nearly 1 million strong. To put it another way, there are nearly as many Australians living offshore as there are in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT put together. It's no surprise that Australians are positive about the diaspora - almost all of us know someone who's a member of it.

The community is geographically diverse: while many Australians still cluster in Britain, there are also significant numbers in Europe, North America and Asia.

Our expatriates are relatively young, which helps explain the generational shift in the polling results. They are also relatively prosperous. Many are located in interesting and influential positions - so much so that one particular international official refers to "the axis of ocker".

In contrast to Germaine's era, the diaspora is dynamic - rather than turning their backs on Australia once and for all, expats these days are more likely to move back and forward between Australia and other countries as opportunities present. Importantly, expatriates are overwhelmingly well disposed to Australia and keen to help. They live somewhere else, but they remain engaged in Australia's national life.

Australia's offshore citizens represent a valuable resource: a market, a sales force, an ambassadorial corps and a constituency. Most Australians understand this. We should hope that our opinion leaders and policymakers will catch on soon, and craft policies to encourage Australian institutions to harness this great national asset.