Are we on the right track as a nation? How do we even tackle such an issue?

We must ignore things that are outside of our control and test if our collective actions roughly reflect our collective values.

This raises the incredibly difficult question of what are our national values? I don’t pretend to offer a complete list here, but this is my best effort to pick the top three Australian core values – feel free to add your top three Australian core values when commenting on or sharing this column online.

Values obviously vary from one person to the next and our collective values transform somewhat as a new generation comes of age but there is a set of values that are deeply embedded in the collective Australian psyche. As a migration nation, we must constantly retell our national myths to ensure folks fresh off the jumbo jet understand how Australia works.

Australians value friendship, camaraderie, and helping one another.

The concept of mateship emphasises loyalty, mutual support, and a willingness to lend a hand to those in need.

In the face of imminent danger, Australians predictably show their best side. Inspector Amy Scott was just the most recent example. Take a look at any news story about floods and you will see people........

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