Fair Go: Australian National Identity

Egalitarianism is the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. It has been considered a key aspect of Australian national identity and often referred to as a ‘fair go’. This essay will argue that the idea of the ‘fair go’, while deeply set in Australian national identity, is more an ‘egalitarianism of manners’ (Hirst in Carter 2006, p. 360) than of outcomes. As Australia’s understanding of what egalitarian means has broadened, the idea that Australia is still egalitarian is only true to a limited extent. To begin with, this essay will explore the origins of the ‘fair go’ in Australian national identity, then its demonstration within Australian society and the changing focus of egalitarianism. Finally, …show more content…
Carter (2006, p. 356) states that “all sides of politics defend their policies or attack their opponents by reference to the ‘fair go’” and describes the Department of Foreign Affairs using egalitarianism in its definition of ‘Australian Values’. These references in political rhetoric and official documents indicate that the ‘fair go’ is central to Australian national identity. Additionally, Australian social interactions are often viewed as informal and lacking deference. Notably, the archetypically Australian lead character in the 1997 film ‘The Castle’ relates to the Queen’s Counsel with informal equality despite wealth and educational differences. (Carter 2006, pp. 357-358). This illustrates how the qualities of informality and lack of deference comprise a particularly significant part of how Australians viewed themselves. Hirst (Carter 2006, p. 360) characterises this informality in language and social interactions as an ‘egalitarianism of manners’ and states that it “is generally acknowledged to exist in modern Australia”. The prevalence of references to the ‘fair go’ in Australia as well as media portrayals of Australian social equality indicates that the ‘fair go’ is deeply set in Australian national