Australia stands at a pivotal crossroads. The cultural and political direction we choose today will define the country our children inherit tomorrow. One path leads us toward unity, excellence, and fairness—anchored in the principle of meritocracy. The other, toward division, mediocrity, and resentment—driven by the expanding influence of identity politics.
Meritocracy—the belief that individuals should be judged by their talents, efforts, and character—has long underpinned Australia’s success. It is a concept that has empowered people of all backgrounds to achieve, to innovate, and to lead. It reflects the egalitarian spirit at the heart of Australian identity: that every person deserves a “fair go.”
But over the past decade, this principle has been quietly eroded. A new ideological orthodoxy—identity politics—has crept into our institutions. It judges people not as individuals, but as representatives of a group: racial, gendered, or otherwise. It claims to champion justice, but in practice, it imposes quotas, preferences, and collective guilt.
What Is Meritocracy?
At its core, meritocracy offers a universal promise: that success is earned, not inherited. That hard work, talent, and perseverance—not race, class, or gender—should determine opportunity. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the fairest humans have devised.
This principle drove Australia’s post-war boom, shaped our world-class education system, and underwrote our multicultural success. Migrants arrived from across the globe, not asking for handouts, but for the opportunity to contribute—and succeed—on their merits.
In such a society, race and identity are rendered irrelevant. The focus is on capacity, contribution, and character. It’s an empowering vision, built on individual dignity and equality before the law.
The Rise and Dangers of Identity Politics
Identity politics, by contrast, carves society into tribes. It ranks people based on historical grievances, claims of oppression, or ideological virtue. It insists that systemic discrimination is everywhere, and the solution is preferential treatment for some—at the expense of others.
Instead of fostering unity, identity politics breeds resentment. It reduces individuals to their immutable characteristics and assumes collective guilt or entitlement based on group membership. Rather than building a common future, it compels Australians to see each other as adversaries competing for moral or material recognition.
In practice, this ideology now shapes hiring practices, university admissions, government funding, and even legislation. Diversity quotas have replaced excellence as a metric of success. In some workplaces, merit has become a dirty word.
Worse still, identity politics undermines social trust. When people believe they’re being judged for what they are—not who they are—they disengage. The social contract fractures. And the very idea of a national identity becomes suspect.
Impact on Australian Institutions
The consequences are becoming visible across key sectors:
- Education
From primary schools to universities, identity politics influences both curriculum and access. History is increasingly taught through the lens of oppression, rather than achievement. In some institutions, scholarships are awarded on the basis of race or gender, not academic merit. This not only disadvantages talented students—it sows division among peers.
- Employment
“Diversity and Inclusion” departments now set targets that prioritise race and sex over qualification and experience. Many Australians—particularly working-class men—feel alienated by corporate cultures that seem to value identity over capability. This erodes morale and undermines productivity.
- Government Policy
Public policy is increasingly racialised. From land rights to constitutional amendments, the logic of identity politics asserts that Australians must be treated differently under the law, based on ancestry. This undermines one of our most sacred principles: equality before the law.
The Moral Case for Merit
The rejection of identity politics is not just strategic—it is moral.
A society based on merit does not ignore disadvantage; it responds to it by lifting people up as individuals, not treating them as interchangeable members of a group. It does not deny history; it learns from it without being paralysed by guilt. It does not flatten people into categories; it sees them in their full humanity.
Australia has always thrived when it has focused on character over category—on capacity over complaint. We owe it to future generations to protect and revive this ethic.
What Unity Looks Like
True unity is not found in symbolic gestures or segregated histories. It is built when every citizen believes they are judged by the same standards, protected by the same laws, and given the same opportunity to thrive.
Unity comes not from pretending we are all the same, but from recognising that in a merit-based society, our differences enrich our shared pursuit of excellence. This is the Australian story: from Indigenous Australians to European settlers, from post-war migrants to modern innovators—we built a nation not by favouring tribes, but by rewarding effort.
Choosing the Future
Australia must decide what kind of country it wishes to be.
Will we honour the values that built this nation—personal responsibility, fairness, and merit—or will we descend into a politics of envy and division?
Will we treat Australians as equal citizens, or divide them into categories of privilege and grievance?
Will we inspire a new generation to strive, build, and lead—or will we teach them to resent, accuse, and demand?
The answer lies with us. And it begins by speaking honestly.
Meritocracy is not merely a policy preference—it is the foundation of a free and flourishing society. Let us defend it. Let us teach it. Let us live by it.
Only then can we offer a future worthy of Australia’s past.
