By Denis Hay
Description
Explore how authoritarianism in Australia shapes voter loyalty to right-wing parties despite corruption, fear campaigns, and cultural conditioning.
Introduction: Obedience Over Evidence – A Familiar Australian Story
Picture this: It’s 2022. A neighbour, devout in faith and fiercely loyal to tradition, dismisses every scandal involving conservative parties as “media bias.” Despite pork-barrelling, sports rorts, and robodebt, their vote remains unchanged. You wonder, “How can they ignore the evidence?”
This article explores a surprising answer: authoritarianism in Australia. It examines how parenting styles, cultural conditioning, and a compliant media landscape shape a voter profile that is highly susceptible to authoritarian leaders. This helps explain the unwavering support for conservative parties, including the Liberal Party, National Party, One Nation, and United Australia Party, even in the face of undeniable corruption. Far from being a fringe phenomenon, authoritarianism in Australia is a deep-seated force that continues to influence political behaviour nationwide.
The Problem: The Rise of Authoritarian Thinking in Australia
The Legacy of Adorno’s Research
In 1950, Theodor Adorno and colleagues developed the “F-scale,” a measure of susceptibility to authoritarianism. They found that people raised in strict, obedience-focused households were more likely to support fascist leaders.
The Modern Context: Australia’s Fragmented Right
As of 2025, the Liberal and National Parties have gone their separate ways, reflecting deeper tensions in conservative politics. Yet, their supporters still share common traits: deference to authority, fear of social change, and a longing for order. Far-right parties like One Nation and Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party reinforce this mindset.
These trends signal a broader rise in authoritarianism in Australia, where political loyalty is shaped more by identity and fear than policy outcomes.
Stat Snapshot: Despite evidence of corruption, a significant portion of Australians continue to support these parties. In the 2022 election, more than 10% of voters chose One Nation or UAP.
When Control Feels Safer Than Freedom
Why Voters Excuse Corruption
In 2021, conservative corruption scandals were well-documented, yet support remained high. Why? Many people’s fear of cultural change outweighed their disgust at corruption.
Example: Mark, a retiree in regional Queensland, told ABC News he “didn’t like the pork-barrelling” but preferred Morrison over “chaos” under Labor. Obedience and loyalty, even to a flawed leader or party, were more important than integrity.
The Parenting Connection
Authoritarian parenting emphasises respect, obedience, and punishment. This model conditions children to defer to power, suppress critical thought, and fear disobedience. As adults, they often:
• Trust strong leaders over collaborative ones.
• Dismiss dissent as dangerous.
• Value conformity over critique.
This psychological conditioning is one of the key drivers of authoritarianism in Australia, especially within conservative and far-right political communities.
Authoritarianism in Australia: A Quiet Cultural Force
Though rarely acknowledged in public discourse, authoritarianism in Australia has long shaped our institutions, political allegiances, and social interactions. Unlike overt dictatorships, Australia’s brand of authoritarianism is often subtle, embedded in traditions, systems of hierarchy, and national myths of respect for authority.
A Colonial Legacy of Control
Australia’s foundation as a British penal colony introduced a strict discipline, surveillance, and obedience culture. From the chain gangs to the White Australia policy, the nation has often equated order with virtue. These legacies linger in attitudes toward immigrants, welfare recipients, and protest movements.
Authoritarianism in Everyday Life
Education: School systems still favour conformity over critical thinking. Uniforms, rigid discipline, and standardised testing reflect deeper authoritarian values.
Workplace Culture: In many industries, deference to management is expected. Whistleblowers are punished, not praised.
Politics: Political dissent is often met with derision or suppression, especially from the left. Peaceful protesters are policed heavily, while right-wing narratives dominate commercial media.
Survey Data and Global Comparisons
According to surveys like the World Values Survey and Pew Research, Australians score higher than many Western nations on values aligned with authoritarianism, such as trust in strong leaders, support for censorship of offensive ideas, and suspicion toward minority groups. These views align closely with voting patterns seen in conservative strongholds.
Authoritarianism and the Right-Wing Bloc
Conservative and far-right parties tap into these instincts by framing themselves as protectors of tradition, national identity, and security. Their rhetoric rarely promotes democratic participation; instead, it glorifies obedience, punishment, and social order.
Building Critical, Democratic Thinkers
Change Begins at Home
Addressing authoritarianism in Australia begins not in parliaments, but in our homes and schools.
To counter authoritarian leanings, Australia must prioritise:
• Independent thinking in education
• Respect-based parenting
• Critical media consumption
Parenting Shift: Encourage curiosity over obedience. Reward self-expression. Challenge rules that serve no logical purpose.
Case Study: Scandinavia
Countries like Sweden and Finland, where egalitarian parenting is common, consistently rank high in democratic participation and trust in institutions (Source: World Values Survey).
The Role of Australia’s Dollar Sovereignty
Australia, as the issuer of its own currency, can invest in civic education, parenting support programs, and media literacy campaigns without the constraint of “balancing the budget.”
A Culture Ready for Change
While Australians are not inherently authoritarian, authoritarianism in Australia has quietly gained ground through culture, parenting, and media. But decades of conservative culture, obedience-focused parenting, and misleading media have shaped voter behaviour.
Change is possible. It starts with how we raise our children, educate our citizens, and fund our future using Australia’s monetary sovereignty.
Q&A Section
Q1: Is authoritarianism really that prevalent in Australia?
Yes. While not overt, many Australians show traits like deference to authority, resistance to change, and belief in traditional hierarchies, key indicators of authoritarian tendencies. This makes authoritarianism in Australia a silent but significant force shaping political outcomes
Q2: What role does the media play?
Media like Sky News and the Murdoch press reinforce authoritarian messaging: fear of outsiders, distrust in experts, and reverence for strong leaders.
Q3: Can community change really shift voter behaviour?
Absolutely. Grassroots education, critical parenting, and promoting open dialogue can break the cycle of authoritarian conditioning over time.
Question for Readers
Have you ever voted conservative out of habit, fear, or tradition? What changed, or needs to change, for you to vote differently?
Leave your thoughts below.
Call to Action
If you found this article insightful, explore more about political reform and Australia’s monetary sovereignty at Social Justice Australia.
Share this article with your community to help drive the conversation toward a more just and equal society.
Click on our “Reader Feedback” menu. Please let us know how our content has inspired you. Submit your testimonial and help shape the conversation today!
Curious what others think? Please read what our readers are saying on our Reader Testimonials page.
Additionally, leave a comment about this article below.
Support Social Justice Australia – Help Keep The Platform Running
Social Justice Australia is committed to delivering independent, in-depth analysis of critical issues affecting Australians. Unlike corporate-backed media, we rely on our readers to sustain this platform.
If you find value in our content, consider making a small donation to help cover the costs of hosting, maintenance, and continued research. No matter how small, every contribution makes a real difference in keeping this site accessible and ad-free.
💡 Your support helps:
✅ Keep this website running without corporate influence
✅ Fund research and publishing of articles that challenge the status quo
✅ Expand awareness of policies that affect everyday Australians
💰 A one-time or monthly donation ensures Social Justice Australia stays a strong, independent voice.
Thank you for being part of this movement for change. Your support is truly appreciated!
This article was originally published on Social Justice Australia
Dear reader, we need your support
Independent sites such as The AIMN provide a platform for public interest journalists. From its humble beginning in January 2013, The AIMN has grown into one of the most trusted and popular independent media organisations.
One of the reasons we have succeeded has been due to the support we receive from our readers through their financial contributions.
With increasing costs to maintain The AIMN, we need this continued support.
Your donation – large or small – to help with the running costs of this site will be greatly appreciated.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
Bullshit. I read these accusations about Christians in an article by Lucy Hamilton.
According to your labelling I am considered right wing and an existential threat.
I am neither.
Or is it in fact fear of authority and being compelled to follow orders?
Authoritarianism and growth go hand in hand. Look around, governments of all persuasions are losing control and public unrest is increasing. Now you have the real answer to increased ‘authoritarianism.
Bev:
You might like to think you are neither. Your comments here reveal someone very different from your own self-assessment.
Critical thinking starts with the self.
You left out religion. The ultimate organisation of authoritarianism, an organisation that thrives on discipline, adherence and deference to authority figures, conformity without question.
Most deeply conservative areas are also deeply religious, this can be seen in the south of the US and can explain why so many blacks and latinos vote for the republicans.
Religion instills in people that they will go to hell if they don’t do what they are told by the church, their parents, their leaders and in the case of women, their husbands.
Religion does not tolerate disobedience of any kind, whether it be by thought, word or deed. Hence why the Catholic Church has it followers confess to “bad” thoughts as well as bad words and deeds.
While Australia is not as religious as the US, those brought up in religious homes, even if they abandon their religion in later life will still seek authoritarianism, it is where they are most comfortable and they will, by and large, vote conservative.
I liken people who seek to be controlled and who vote conservative as still emotionally being in childhood and seeking the comfort of being “looked after”. The fact that the conservatives do no such thing is conveniently overlooked by the need to feel “safe”. This is one of the reasons that, against all evidence to the contrary, people still believe that the LNP is still the best economic managers and why the right wing media and political parties push that the ALP is all “chaos”, yet when the LNP does exactly the same thing that the ALP did, in changing party leaders while in government, the LNP is not held to the same level of scrutiny or condemnation that the ALP was.
Religion has always been about control as is the conservative political movement.
Well said Patricia and so very true. Rather than, as claimed, church and sate being separate, the fact is, over the centuries, they have been hand in glove.
Religion, rather than promoting love and forgiveness, has controlled via fear and impoverishment.
Bev, I have carefully read the article and have not found the term ‘Christian’ mentioned. The opening is however a reference to ‘A neighbour, devout in faith and fiercely loyal to tradition’, and that can describe my friend Ahmed, a devout Muslim, it can describe another work mate, Guru Singh, a devout Sikh, or another workmate, Paroma, a devout Mormon.
Just saying.