As the situation in Gaza continues to polarise the Australian public, “social cohesion” has become a key phrase in political debates about how the government should respond to the ongoing crisis.
Like “national interest”, social cohesion lends itself as a potent rhetorical weapon to politicians on both sides — not despite its opaque meaning but because of it. For instance, former prime minister John Howard cited the risk of losing social cohesion as a way of advancing his argument against diversity and multiculturalism.
Labor is fond of criticising
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