Decolonisation demands courage and vision

October 1, 2025

Henry Reynolds’ essay “Australia’s decolonisation runs aground” is a timely reminder of how far we remain from completing the work of decolonisation. He is right to note that our retreat from the republic, from structural recognition of First Nations, and even from re-examining our national symbols reflects not just public hesitation but a lack of political courage.

What Australia needs most is leadership with vision. Our future cannot be shaped by leaders content with small steps or short-term calculations. We need politicians and other civic leaders willing to lift the national conversation, to imagine a republic, to embrace genuine reconciliation and to chart a course beyond the shadow of empire. Without such visionaries, the project of decolonisation will continue to stall.