As Australia heads into another federal election, a dark cloud looms over our democracy. Beneath the surface-level contest between Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party and Peter Dutton’s Liberal-National Coalition lies a more troubling reality: neither major party offers meaningful solutions to the fundamental crises facing our nation.
Both are deeply entwined with the interests of the United States and the Israeli lobby, prioritising foreign alliances. Both are seem to be prioritising corporate interests over the well-being of the Australian people. In this context, the growing spectre of right-wing authoritarianism cannot be ignored.
The creep of fascism
Globally, we are witnessing a resurgence of right-wing populism and reactionary politics. The recent surge of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in Britain, the far-right consolidation in Europe, and the continued influence of Donald Trump in the US all indicate a growing appetite for nationalist, exclusionary, and authoritarian governance. Australia is not immune to these trends.
Peter Dutton represents the most direct threat of an authoritarian shift in Australian politics. His hardline stance on immigration, relentless fear-mongering, and deep ties to the Murdoch media empire make him a potent force for a more repressive future. He openly courts xenophobia and militarism, advocating for policies that criminalise dissent and erode civil liberties.
His willingness to align with figures like John Howard who with the Tampa affair won an election he should have lost and began the attack on multicultural and diversity polices as well as Tony Abbot, now on board of NewsCorp—signals an intent to deepen Australia’s slide into reactionary politics.
Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has played a key role in shaping this narrative, much like it has done in the US and UK Through Fox News, The Australian, The Herald Sun, and other outlets, Murdoch has poisoned public discourse, spreading fear, misinformation, and division. His legacy has been one of relentless social engineering, eroding trust in institutions and inflaming culture wars that distract from real economic and social injustices.
Labor’s failure to offer a real alternative
Despite the dangers posed by Dutton, the Labor government under Albanese has not done enough to provide a meaningful alternative. Labor, traditionally the party of the working class, has been unable to deal with the negative effects neoliberalism and unwilling to stand up to corporate donors – the mining, gambling, alcohol lobbies.
Although there was some positive movement at the UN, Labor has been unwilling to sufficiently challenge the US and Israel on policies that are not in Australia’s national interests. The result is that although the are not as bad as the LNP, they have not done enough to deal with the concerns of everyday Australians – cost of living, housing, gambling and employment.
Albanese failed to challenge the Morrison ill advised, exorbitant, and ineffective AUKUS deal continuing Australia’s subservience to the United States while failing to take a principled stand on Palestine. His government’s weak approach to the Israeli lobby, the weaponisation of anti-semitism and the ongoing atrocities in Gaza underscores its lack of moral and political courage.
Instead of leading on matters of justice, Labor has chosen the path of political expediency, attempting to placate both progressive and conservative elements while standing for little in practice.
Labor’s economic policies have also been lacklustre. Wages remain stagnant, the cost of living continues to rise, and corporate profits soar while workers struggle. There has been no serious attempt to challenge the dominance of financial capital or to invest in public goods that would create long-term economic security.
The party’s embrace of neoliberalism means it lacks the ideological foundation to mount a real challenge to the forces that are pushing Australia further into inequality and instability.
The lesser of two evils fallacy
Elections should not be a choice between the lesser of two evils. This argument is not only disempowering but also fundamentally flawed. It forces voters to continually accept the status quo, preventing the emergence of alternative political movements that could genuinely address the needs of the people.
If voters settle for Albanese simply because he is not Dutton, the electorate would enable the continued drift toward an unaccountable, corporate-controlled, militarised state.
Moreover, history has shown that failing to challenge neoliberalism allows the far-right to thrive. When working-class people feel abandoned by progressive politics, they become susceptible to the appeals of reactionary populism. This is the dynamic that fuelled Brexit in the UK and is now fuelling Faragism, that fuelled Trumpism in the US, and is now fuelling the rise of far-right movements across Europe.
If Labor continues down this path, it is only a matter of time before Australia experiences its own populist uprising, one that could be far more dangerous than anything we have seen before.
The need for a new political movement
Australia is at a crossroads. The current political landscape offers no viable path forward. If we are to resist the slide into authoritarianism, we must break free from the stranglehold of the two-party system and demand real, transformative change.
This means building grassroots political movements that prioritize economic justice, climate action, and human rights. It means challenging corporate power and reclaiming the democratic institutions that have been hijacked by moneyed interests. It means standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, rejecting the militarisation of our foreign policy, and demanding an end to Australia’s unquestioning allegiance to the United States and Israel.
Most importantly, it means rejecting fear. The Murdoch media machine thrives on division and demoralization, convincing people that resistance is futile and that the only choice is between two deeply compromised parties. But history has shown that when people organize, they can change the course of history.
Breaking the two-party duopoly
One of the most pressing political challenges in Australia is the stranglehold of the two-party system. The dominance of Labor and the Coalition has stifled alternative voices and prevented the emergence of truly progressive policies. To break this cycle, Australians will need to look at supporting progressive minor parties and independent candidates who advocate for genuine systemic change — progressive parties and independents that offer pathways toward policies that prioritise people over profit.
Supporting these alternatives not only diversifies political representation but also pressures the major parties to shift their policies in response to growing public demand for reform. Thoughtful and strategic preferencing could be an important element, in dismantling the entrenched duopoly that keeps power concentrated among the same elite interests.
The election rigging of 2024
Fortunately, the recent changes to election laws by both major parties will not impact on this year’s election but it will the next one. They are a blatant attempt to rig the system against independent candidates. The new rules significantly increase taxpayer funding to the Coalition and Labor—projected to reach $140 million in 2028—while imposing restrictions that disproportionately harm minor parties and independents. Meanwhile, loopholes allow corporate interests, including the fossil fuel lobby, to continue funnelling millions into the major parties’ campaign war chests.
The changes exacerbate the already vast financial and structural advantages enjoyed by incumbents, making it harder for grassroots candidates to compete. This is not democracy; this is a cartel tightening its grip on power. Yet, history has shown that community-backed independents can and do win, despite these systemic barriers. The best way to counter this corruption is by ensuring more seats go to candidates who will challenge the status quo.
Beware of right-wing manipulation by organisations like Advance Australia
As well as the right-wing media such as Sky News and the rest of the Murdoch media, right-wing lobby groups like Advance Australia with a huge budget, full time staff and researchers are using similar techniques to Cambridge Analytica on the Brexit vote in the UK.
A whistleblower claimed Cambridge Analytica was able to build complex data analysis tools to target potential voters during multiple US campaigns which helped to develop the underlying algorithm that was used by Cambridge Analytica to target social media users. These pose a significant threat by masquerading as grassroots movements while pushing reactionary policies that serve corporate and elite interests.
Organisations like Advance manipulate public sentiment through misinformation and fearmongering, much like their counterparts in the US and UK.
The time to stand up is now
This election presents a crucial opportunity to disrupt the entrenched power structures. We must reject the status quo and fight for a genuinely democratic Australia. The future is in our hands—if we choose to act. Australia may be teetering on the edge.
The rise of right-wing populism, the failures of the major parties, the corrosive influence of media empires like Murdoch’s and propaganda outfits like Advance have created the perfect conditions for authoritarianism to take root. If we do not act at this election, we may wake up in a country where democracy could become nothing more than a hollow facade.
The forthcoming election should not be about choosing the lesser evil—it should be about demanding something better. It is time to break free from the illusion that the current political system will fix itself. The future depends on those willing to stand up, speak out, and fight for a new vision of Australia—one based on justice, equality, true democracy, and a fair go
This is a very significant analysis of our situation.
Dutton offers authoritarian rightwing divisive politics, Labor is unable or unwilling to deal with the barriers to progress, kow towing to Israeli and gambling lobbies .
A profound change is needed but we must oppose and expose the vicious populism of the fascist groups