The Lowy Institute’s annual poll, released this week, carried two important signals for politicians and other policy makers about Australian multiculturalism. One was reassuring, the other an amber light.

Nearly three in four (73%) say Australia’s “cultural diversity” has been positive. This indicates multiculturalism’s roots remain firmly in the ground, despite the winds blowing in troubled times.

But there had been a big drop from the 90% level registered in 2024, when the question was last asked. Lowy said this was “the largest movement on any societal question” in the poll’s more than two decade history.

The 2026 result was likely influenced by the question being asked just months after Bondi, which has had a profound impact on community thinking. Nevertheless, the decline is a warning to be heeded, lest this turns into a serious downward trend.

Unsurprisingly, Pauline Hanson is stoking negativity about multiculturalism, with her declaration last week that Australia was multiracial but must be “monocultural”.

That triggered political gyrations in which Opposition Leader Angus Taylor once again showed his ineptness when, under intense questioning, he refused to commit to multiculturalism. He later tried to clean up the mess, but ended up in contortions.

Hanson herself was all over the place in trying to clarify “monoculture”, citing Japan initially, then pivoting to the Socceroos.

Anthony Albanese invoked history in a word salad illustrating that we were always diverse, reaching back to the First Fleet, where “there were some in chains and some who were in charge of the people in chains”.

Political own goals and point scoring aside, multicultural policy will be front and centre in coming months, requiring the government to respond.

The royal commission on antisemitism has as part of its brief to examine “social cohesion”. Its report, due in December, will highlight the challenges........

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