Leadership is not simply about governing; it is about making clear, to allies and critics alike, where authority lies. And increasingly, Australians are asking whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is projecting that clarity, or allowing it to blur under pressure from competing constituencies. This piece applies to many Western countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada.

Australia’s post-war success was not accidental. The great wave of immigrants who arrived after the Second World War did not merely seek opportunity. They understood the importance of integration. They adapted to a shared civic culture, one grounded in democratic institutions, the rule of law, and what has often been described as the country’s Judeo-Christian heritage. That settlement was not about erasing identity, but about building a common one.

At its core, the responsibility of any government is straightforward: the safety, security, and cohesion of its people. Australia is no exception. Yet there is a growing perception that this hierarchy of priorities is shifting, that political calculation is, at times, taking precedence over clarity of principle.

Moments of public disorder and division have sharpened this concern. The unrest around the Sydney Opera House on October 9, 2023 was, for many, not just an isolated incident but a signal that social cohesion cannot be taken for granted. When flags are burned and chants such as “gas the Jews” and “F*** the Jews” are openly and confidently chanted barely 2 days after the worst pogrom against Jews since the Holocaust, social........

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