Is social cohesion in Australia under threat?

During the senate inquiry on 10 April 2024, Mr Mike Burges, the ASIO boss, expressed concern about the rise in activities of right-wing extremists and the potential for it to incite a race war in Australia. This is the third time in less than a year that the ASIO boss has highlighted the vulnerability of social cohesion in the country. The previous instances were after the Gaza-Israel war in October last year and his recent disclosure about the significant and ongoing threat of foreign interference, posing a security risk to Australia’s social cohesion.

For a long time, multiculturalism has been praised for its contribution to fostering and preserving social cohesion in Australia. It has played a crucial role in promoting trust, national pride, and support for ethnic diversity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our society’s unity and strength were put to the test and proved to be resilient, which has fostered a feeling of triumph and hope among the people.

Nevertheless, this sense of triumph appears to be fleeting, overshadowed by various ongoing challenges in different domains such as housing, migration, and foreign interference. The crucial point is that all these seem to be interconnected to have an impact on the social cohesion that concerns us deeply.

Let us start with the costs of living as one of the crucial denominators for social cohesion. 

The rising cost of living in Australia has become a major issue, particularly due to recent inflation trends, reaching its peak at 7.8% last year and remaining high, averaging around 7% for the year up until March. This has resulted in increased prices across various sectors, including food, travel, medical services, and utilities.

One area that is particularly affected by the high living costs is the housing market. Australia is currently facing a significant housing crisis, characterized by record low vacancy rates, declining building approvals, worsening rental affordability, and rising construction costs. Consequently, numerous individuals find themselves floating above the inundated water on the verge of experiencing homelessness, while the aspiration of possessing a new residence is progressively slipping away for younger cohorts. Amid this tumultuous circumstance, countless international students are also grappling with the challenge of finding rental accommodations.

Australia has witnessed a significant increase in migrant arrivals, with numbers rising by 73 percent from 427,000 to 737,000 in the past year. This surge in migration is happening simultaneously with the housing crisis. Some argue that there is a direct correlation between these two issues, suggesting that migration is exacerbating the housing crisis.

On the other hand, there is a counterargument that migrants have historically played a positive role in stimulating the Australian economy, which has been sluggish, aging, and relatively relaxed. This perspective highlights the potential benefits that migrants bring to the country.

In general, the discussion and debate surrounding the cost of living in Australia, along with the housing crisis and the continuous influx of migrants, have gained significant attention. It is widely believed that these share a correlated or potentially causal relationship, although this connection has not been fully clear at this point.

Nevertheless, regardless of the nature of this connection, it extends beyond Australia. Other Western countries, particularly English-speaking nations, also face comparable difficulties. For example, the United States is dealing with similar challenges as Canada and the United Kingdom, including substantial levels of unregulated immigration, concerns about housing and rental availability and affordability, and steadily rising living expenses with the absence of vigorous and effective government intervention.

Alongside these challenges, these nations are also experiencing increased racial tensions and sporadic conflicts, which can, partly, be attributed to the influx of millions of asylum seekers into the United States and the UK without undergoing any vetting process. Some of these individuals in the US, in particular, were suspected of having a criminal background, which has left it susceptible to potential terrorist attacks at any given moment. The United Kingdom shares similar concerns as well.

It appears inevitable that a larger picture is emerging from these seemingly chaotic situations. This leads many to ponder if there is an underlying pattern connecting all these events to show a larger scheme. If so, whose motives are at play? Qui bono?

How can we make sense of all these occurrences, challenges, fears, and assumptions from a social cohesion perspective?

Social cohesion refers to connectedness and solidarity among different societal groups. It is often seen as the binding force that holds societies, social groups, actors, and forces together through a sense of belonging, shared commitment, common good, diversity, equal rights, and opportunities. Based on this definition, Australia has so far enjoyed a significant level of social cohesion through its constitutional and legal principles, policies, and world-class practices of multiculturalism.

However, cracks are starting to appear in Australian society, particularly with the growing sense of threat posed by right-wing violent extremism, along with other forms of violent extremism. Right-wing ideology is nothing new in Australia, but it has recently gained rapid attention with profound influence and increased capacity and capabilities to poses a direct threat to multiculturalism and social cohesion in Australia.

At present, there are three misconceptions surrounding the increase in right-wing extremism. The first misconception solely considers it from a domestic perspective, whereas the second misconception attributes it to either ideology or religion. Lastly, the third misconception undermines the gravity of right-wing extremism.

Firstly, domestic right-wing extremism is deeply intertwined, both ideologically and in other aspects, with a variety of factors like economic stability, political transparency, and social connections. Moreover, it is linked to different international right-wing entities, leaders, ideologies, and impacts. Instead of being seen as a standalone issue, it should be recognized as a reaction to global and local trends, movements, behaviours, and thoughts. This interconnectedness introduces a significant level of complexity and variety to the problem.

Secondly, it is crucial to recognize that right-wing extremism is not solely driven by ideological and religious factors. Existential concerns also play a substantial role, particularly the apprehension of being replaced by non-white races in the name of diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism. This apprehension is largely intensified by the unregulated and unrestricted mass migration movements taking place in various English-speaking nations, where the white population has historically been the majority. As a result, it is not surprising that online platforms have witnessed a significant rise in conspiracy theories such as the Great Replacement Theory and Kalergi Plan. In the absence of a robust, sustainable, and fair migration policy, the situation deteriorates, providing validation and empowerment for right-wing propaganda.

Thirdly, the current government seems to fail to grasp the gravity of the risks and lacks a long-term strategy for social cohesion. It has not yet shown us any strategic plan nor addressed the threats at home transparently, apart from banning Nazi salute and hate symbols as a bandage approach and dumping the heads of ASIO and ASIS from its National Security Committee of Cabinet as a reckless measure.

As such, Australia is faced with the pressing issue of declining social cohesion, as these challenges are interconnected and reinforce each other. The Australian government bears the responsibility of openly, constructively, and strategically addressing these challenges and threats to social cohesion. The first essential step is to acknowledge the risks involved and understand that significant efforts are required both domestically and internationally to address the situation. Neglecting to prioritise this matter will ultimately result in a decline in our national security and identity, which are sustained by principles such as freedom, respect, fairness, the rule of law, and democracy.