One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and new Liberal leader Angus Taylor have invoked "Australian values" to justify taking a hard line on immigration, especially from countries that supposedly don't share our values.

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The phrase summons comforting and nostalgic images of football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars, but politicians are rarely asked to spell out what our national values actually are.

When they do, they are often talking about different things.

So, what exactly do Australians "value"? And do these values line up with what politicians are saying about migration?

One frequently invoked idea in the context of Australian values is a "fair go".

It's an official part of our immigration system. The Australian Values Statement, which all visa applicants must sign and agree to abide by, includes an explicit mention of "a fair go for all".

Our research on this longstanding national ideal shows people attach many different meanings to it.

Most people thought it included the belief that migrants should have the same opportunities as everyone else.

In 2024-25 we ran a module in the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes to ask the public what they thought a "fair go" meant.

Respondents were presented with a range of statements about a "fair go" and asked to give a score between one and seven according to how much they agreed, with one being the lowest and seven the highest.

The table reveals widespread agreement that a "fair go" is about people being able to get ahead without facing discrimination, with a common view that all should have access to the same quality of education and healthcare.

READ: One Nation has been on the fringes of Australian politics for 30 years. Why is its popularity soaring now?

Fewer people agreed a fair go was about the redistribution of wealth and income, or people being free to "do what they........

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