The Blinkered Nationalism of Australia’s New Left

A new form of nationalism has emerged on the Australian Left. It is a nationalism that centres the perspectives, histories, spirituality and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia’s national identity. This new form of nationalism was very much on display as new Labor, Teal and Greens members of parliament made their first speeches for the new parliamentary term.

This essay appears in the latest Quadrant.
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Rather than trying to balance Aboriginal perspectives with more traditional conceptions of Australian identity, many progressive new members simply ignored any positive aspects of the Anglo-European contribution to Australia. In general, the narrative seems to go something like this:

For 65,000 years, the Australian continent was home to a rich and enduring culture. This culture provided the continent with its first scientists, doctors, artists and astronomers. Therefore, this culture’s perspectives on every issue must…