This festive season, the traditional message of 'peace on Earth and goodwill to all' rings hollow for many Australians struggling under the weight of a system that appears skewed towards the wealthy and powerful, argues Brad Chilcott, founder of Welcoming Australia.
The Growing Chasm: When the System Feels Rigged
Chilcott writes that for families wrestling with the cost of living, lining up for rental inspections, or juggling insecure work, pursuing a vision of universal goodwill is immensely difficult. The sentiment is compounded, he notes, when people are made to feel they do not belong or that their aspirations are somehow damaging the nation.
The core issue, he identifies, is a structural shift where wealth continues to move upwards and essential public services – from disability support and aged care to health and early education – are increasingly outsourced. This model, he argues, prioritises shareholder returns and market share over genuinely improving lives, leaving the most vulnerable behind.
Beyond Blame: Addressing the Soil of Disaffection
In seeking solutions, Chilcott warns against simplistic blame games. While he unequivocally states that racism, religious extremism, and neo-Nazi movements must be combatted through stronger laws and cultural engagement, he insists this is not enough.
He criticises political narratives that focus solely on lowering migration or running anti-racism campaigns without confronting the embedded economic causes of exclusion and disadvantage. Such approaches, he says, merely divert attention from the systemic roots of growing public frustration experienced by First Nations peoples, migrants, and generations of white Australians facing persistent financial distress.
"Fomenting division is the business model for political leaders searching for a hook – any hook – to attract votes," Chilcott asserts. He points out that marginally reducing refugee intakes or skilled migration numbers will not address the underlying discontent.
Glimmers of Hope: Goodwill in Action
Despite the challenges, Chilcott finds hope in tangible acts of community solidarity. He cites examples like the Pillars of Light Hanukkah festival in Melbourne's Federation Square, which welcomed people of all faiths and none.
He also highlights the embrace between Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins and the Australian National Imams Council's Bilal Rauf after the Bondi murders, and the work of Turbans 4 Australia, a Sikh-led charity providing sustenance to those in need. "This is what 'goodwill to all' looks like in action," he writes. "It is the Australia that could be, and – if you look away from your social media feed – already is."
Chilcott concludes that peace will not spring from a politics of envy or from blaming the victims of inequality. True hope for a future without fear, he contends, lies in a collective commitment to forge an Australia where everyone is equally welcome to belong, contribute, and thrive, both socially and economically. The path to Christmas peace, therefore, is built on justice and inclusion, not mere seasonal sentiment.
