Arabic version: وونغ تربط الأحادية الثقافية بمخاطر أمنية

According to ABC News, Foreign Minister Penny Wong will warn in Sydney on Friday that populism and a push for “monoculturalism” threaten Australia’s national security. She is due to deliver the annual Gyngell Lecture at the Lowy Institute, arguing that isolationism would leave the country “lonely in a dangerous world”.

Wong will say that “denigrating our region and neglecting our partners” is not a way to secure Australia’s interests. She will also reject retreat from the world and its institutions, while making references to policies associated with One Nation without naming the party. One Nation has vowed to cut foreign aid and withdraw Australia from multilateral institutions if it wins power, while Pauline Hanson has called for Australia to become “monocultural”.

The minister will argue that Australians’ ability to connect with people from around the world is a national asset that expands the country’s choices. She will say a call for monoculture would curtail those choices, cut off connections, and leave Australia with fewer friends, trading partners and opportunities for growth.

Wong’s speech will also address social cohesion. The latest Lowy Institute poll found that 55 per cent of Australians believe the total number of migrants arriving is “too high”, and support for cultural diversity has fallen sharply. However, 73 per cent of respondents said diversity was “entirely” or “mostly” positive.

She will warn that a hostile debate over diversity could turn Australians against each other and make the country more vulnerable to disinformation campaigns by external forces. “Division makes us easier to exploit, it doesn’t make us stronger,” Wong will say.