Our Very Own Brexit: A Lowy Institute Paper: Penguin Special: Australia's Hollow Politics and Where It Could Lead Us

Description

A close examination of whether Australia might have its own Brexit moment and the possible repercussions, from the Lowy Institute. Could Australia have a Brexit moment? There is a rarely spoken truth at the heart of Australian politics- it is dominated by two parties that voters no longer care about. Around the democratic West, the public is drifting away from major parties, and politics is becoming hollow. In Europe, populists have been the beneficiaries. In Britain, the result was Brexit. Australian politics is hollow too. One of our declining parties could, in desperation, exploit an issue that ties Australia to Asia and which will determine our future security- immigration.

Sam Roggeveen is Director of the Lowy Institute's International Security Program. Sam writes for newspapers, magazines and websites around the world about Australian politics and foreign policy. He is the founding editor of the Lowy Institute's digital magazine, The Interpreter. Before joining the Lowy Institute, Sam was a senior analyst in Australia's peak intelligence agency, the Office of National Assessments.