Has Australia’s experiment with multiculturalism reached a breaking point?

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, economist and public intellectual Henry Ergas AO joins the conversation to examine one of the most sensitive and consequential questions facing classical liberalism in Australia today: how a free and open society can sustain social cohesion amid rapid demographic change, cultural fragmentation, and the rise of identity politics.

Ergas, a long-time columnist for The Australian, former OECD economist, and one of the country’s most rigorous public thinkers, argues that the post-Whitlam model of multiculturalism has shifted from a pragmatic policy of tolerance and integration to an ideology that celebrates difference while weakening the shared civic culture that once held Australia together. He explores the consequences for immigration policy, national identity, and the liberal order itself, including the alarming surge in antisemitism and the broader erosion of social trust.

A clear-eyed and unflinching conversation about culture, belonging, and the future of liberal democracy in Australia.

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In this episode of Liberalism in Question, Joseph Healy examines what Adam Smith would make of modern Australia.

Drawing on both The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments, he diagnoses today’s economic and social challenges and outlines a more balanced path forward.

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What are our shared values? | Rachael Kohn

From de Tocqueville to Lord Acton and beyond, the idea of Democracy has developed, not always ideally, and signs of its demise are evident in Australia, making its defence a priority.

Rachael Kohn AO FRSN is an author, commentator, and award-winning producer and broadcaster, best known for her long tenure at the ABC. She has written three books, edited a fourth, and holds a PhD in religious studies from a Canadian university.

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👉 Key points: 🔹Civic decline and identity-based education have fuelled the rise of antisemitism in Australia. 🔹Antisemitism grows when Australians stop seeing each other first as equal citizens with shared civic obligations. 🔹Rebuilding civic knowledge and a common national identity strengthens resistance to antisemitism and social division.

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👉 Further reading: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/a-nation-of-strangers-how-a-civic-vacuum-enabled-antisemitism/

👉 Watch Part 1: https://youtu.be/zhxJXyavYzI

Is Islam compatible with liberalism? In this episode of Liberalism in Question, Dr Mark Durie joins the Centre for Independent Studies to examine the fundamental tensions between Islamic theology, sharia, and core liberal principles such as individual freedom, equality, and freedom of religion.

Mark Durie is a pastor and academic. He writes and speaks on a wide range of topics which include the connection between faith and culture, freedom of religion, the persecution of religious minorities, particularly non-Muslims living under the Islamic sharia, the origin and history of Islam, and discipling new Christians.

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Is Islam Compatible with Classical Liberalism? | Dr. Samir Mahmoud

What is the relationship between Islam and Classical Liberalism? Is there an incompatibility, or just a misunderstanding between manifestations of Islam on the margins?

Dr. Samir Mahmoud is the Education Advisor to the Office of the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. He has a BA (Hons) in Anthropology & Politics with a focus on multicultural theory and comparative religion, and an MA in Architectural History, Theory & Urban Design with a focus on the traditional townscape from the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia. He also holds an MPhil in Theology & Religious Studies with a focus on comparative philosophy and aesthetics. He completed a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Dr. Timothy Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad).

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Watch here: https://youtu.be/zhxJXyavYzI

Watch here: https://youtu.be/pfX-nzrgFPM

"[Dahrendorf] had protected an idea: that intellectual work and practical engagement could combine without abandoning intellectual standards, that boundaries could be crossed with integrity intact."

Join Dr Oliver Hartwich for a conversation about Dahrendorf, Trump and the multitudes of intellectuals who have abandoned their principles. .

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👉 Further reading: https://oliverhartwich.com/2026/02/27/the-temptations-of-unfreedom-revisited/

What classical liberals get wrong about the rest of the World | Alexandre Lefebvre Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sydney and author of Liberalism as a Way of Life, Alexandre Lefebvre explores how classical liberalism shapes not just politics, but our everyday values, ethics, and way of life.

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