Why political diversity lags as ethnic diversity rises in Australia

In an examination of immigration, demographics, media influence and electoral systems, Sheila Newman questions whether Australia’s political landscape is becoming less representative as diversity increases.

Public concerns are growing that, despite strong and repeated public opposition, including the Australian Marches, Labor is maintaining very high levels of immigration because this serves the party’s own long-term institutional and electoral interests.

Corporate Labor

If we view the Australian Labor Party as a large organization with significant financial, union and factional interests in how Australia is governed, its strong commitment to mass immigration becomes rational, even predictable. By rapidly expanding the population, Labor is effectively expanding its potential future voter base: many immigrant communities have historically gravitated towards Labor when they become citizens, but the Liberals also compete for immigrant votes.

This is unfortunately standard organizational behavior; when a political party acts like a company, developing policies that expand its power and support its base within existing electoral rules.

Many long-settled and native-born Australians feel increasingly displaced, physically by rapid population growth, housing shortages and strained infrastructure, and politically by engineered demographic change that appears to favor one major party in the long term.

Labor has reinforced this dynamic by aggressively positioning itself as a champion of immigrants and multiculturalism. This is reflected in the promotion of new anti-hate speech and expanded censorship, including anti-racism laws and ASIO powers, as well as planning policies that prioritize accommodating rapid population growth, predominantly of immigrants, over the needs of existing residents.

Approved hate speech

At the same time, elements within the Labor Party waged a cultural campaign against the “baby boomer” generation, using them as a symbol for indigenous Australians resisting rapid demographic change and authoritarian planning. The baby boomer stigma also carries the threat of dispossession, as “boomers” are deemed unworthy of keeping the homes they own.

This harsh targeting of an identifiable elderly group and the implied threats of dispossession rages unbridled like sanctioned hate speech. The hateful message is being trumpeted inside and outside Parliament by the property lobby and others whose products benefit from the demand spurred by mass immigration.

The loudest trumpet of them all is, of course, the mainstream press, marketing Australia’s land and lifestyle globally through affiliated dot-com brands. realestate.com.au And domain.com.au. Even ABC now hosts a variety of lifestyle and property-focused programs.

super labor troll

Despite growing public alarm, Labor appears to be trying to catch a big, fast-moving migrant fish before the political tide turns to quickly establish its long-term electoral advantage. So it is feared that as large numbers of new immigrants eventually become citizens and gain the right to vote, they will disproportionately support Labor, helping to cement the party’s dominance in place for decades to come.

Research from the Australian Population Research Institute (TAPRI) adds important context. A paper (‘Is Australia Ready for Political Adjustment?‘November 2025, revised 2026) shows that citizenship rates will increase significantly in the coming years, although the newest immigrants still have temporary visas and cannot yet vote. Another analysis ‘Right Surge‘He links widespread concern about immigration, housing and the cost of living to increased support for One Nation.

The electoral system strengthens one party

In the last Australian Election Labor’s first preferences were around 30-34 per cent, but it still formed government thanks to the preferences of Greens voters and voters who voted for other smaller parties who had to fill a certain number of preferences after their primaries. If Australia had multi-member constituencies, it might be easier to achieve greater political diversity.

However, in France, we saw that more than one party effectively united and supported in July 2024. Emmanuel Macron‘s party, Renaissance, to prevent the Rassemblement National (formerly Front National) from gaining power.

In Australia, Labor and the Liberals are more likely to encourage voters to favor each other over minor parties or the Independents. In France, as in Australia, mass media plays a big role in how the public perceives candidates.

Mainstream media, including ABC, are amplifying the duo

Australia’s media environment is one of the busiest in the democratic world. A handful of companies (mostly News Corp and Nine Entertainment) dominate the merchandising channels.

The publicly funded ABC operates largely within the same narrow framework, despite its charter requiring impartiality; it frames politics almost exclusively as a contest between Labor and the Coalition, while often reinforcing progressive positions on immigration and demography and marginalizing dissenting views.

This concentration helps maintain the status quo by:

giving much less coverage to minor parties and independents, often portraying them as spoilers or frivolous; And

adjustment overton window – deciding which views will be considered legitimate.

Combined effect: A self-reinforcing cycle

High immigration expands Labour’s potential future voter base. The electoral system and media environment protect Labor’s position by making it almost impossible for Australian voters to gain meaningful representation.

Crackdowns on censorship and expanded ASIO powers have a chilling effect on the implied freedom of political comment, Australia’s only real claim to free expression rights. Constitution. The result is a feedback loop that solidifies the power of the dominant party and protects it from public backlash.

Australia’s system is increasingly effective at protecting the major incumbent party from serious election consequences, even when large segments of the population strongly oppose its key policies.

Sheila Newman is a sociologist and the author and editor of several books on energy resources, population, and housing policy systems. https://candobetter.net.

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