ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Australia took 2 million migrants in 25 years after World War II. In the last five years alone, we've taken another 2 million. Same number — one-fifth the time. Is our multicultural framework built for that pace?"Multiculturalism has turned into a dogma — something that cannot be questioned." When the editor of a new book on immigration dares to ask the hard questions, the answers are more nuanced than any political party will admit.Chetna Mahadik is the General Manager of the Robert Menzies Institute in Melbourne and editor of 'Immigration & Multiculturalism: The Past, the Present and the Future' (Connor Court, 2026) — a landmark collection bringing together political leaders, scholars and commentators from across the political spectrum to examine where Australian multiculturalism came from, where it stands today, and where it needs to go.Buy the book: https://www.connorcourtbooks.com.au/products/immigration-multiculturalism-the-past-the-present-and-the-future-edited-by-chetna-mahadikConnect with Chetna:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetna-mahadik-0306902/The Spectator Australia: https://www.spectator.com.au/author/chetna-mahadik/Timestamps:00:00 Is Multiculturalism Becoming a Dogma That Can't Be Questioned?01:13 From India to Melbourne - Chetna's Story04:21 "Did You Experience Racism in Australia?"06:31 Is Multiculturalism a Success — or Has It Become Untouchable?17:06 Why Write a Book on Multiculturalism Right Now?19:12 The Blind Men and the Elephant — And What It Tells Us About Australia22:04 How Do You Bring Labor and Liberal Together in One Book?25:49 From White Australia Policy to Multicultural in 25 Years — How?33:32 Has Multiculturalism Become a Dogma — Not a Framework?37:35 Do Second-Generation Migrants See Australia Differently?42:48 Is Australia Actually Racist — or Is the Narrative Misleading?50:33 Who Gets to Define Racism in Australia?51:41 Why Does the Media Keep Getting Multiculturalism Wrong?56:01 Is Anti-Racism Now a Funded Industry — and Who Benefits?01:00:17 Is Government Funding of Migrant Groups Actually Stereotyping Them?01:05:19 Should we take Pauline Hanson's 'Monoculture' Seriously?01:09:47 How Do You Build Multicultural Communities From the Ground Up?01:14:46 Are Group Rights Quietly Undermining Individual Rights?01:19:22 If Multiculturalism Isn't Working — What's the Alternative?01:21:07 Why Does Chetna End the Book with "Let's Remain Friends"?--------------------------------------------------------------------Join and Subscribe to Perth Dialogues on our channels 👇Support us Here: https://perthdialogues.au/ Join on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/PD-Youtube Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/PD-Spotify Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/PD-ApplePodcasts Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/PD-AmazonMusic --------------------------------------------------------------------Follow our host, Nirmal Singh, atWebsite: https://nirmalsingh.au/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/nirmalsingh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nirmalsingh.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nirmalsingh.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/psknirmal/
