Australia has been a sanctuary from the populist right’s onslaught. Is it now living on borrowed time? (opens in new tab)

Australia has been averse to ideological extremes but after two decades of growing inequality and public policy stasis, the country’s robust democratic formula is facing challengesSince Australia’s emphatic repudiation at the May 2025 election of the Coalition’s accelerated journey towards a strident rightwing populism, there has been a surge of interest in the country’s political distinctiveness. At a time of democratic backsliding in many other parts of the globe, not least in Trump’s Unite...