2026-09-03
What is it and why are so many Australians turning to it?
By Aisha Faisal Anam
My passion for politics, justice and advocacy started from an early age. 
Rather than seven-year-old me joining party protests, it looked more like talking to the quiet kids. Comforting the bullied. Or simply, being a voice of reason.
I am now in year ten, and my passion for justice has only grown.
In a time of uncertainty and rapidly changing conditions, society has been divided by the black and white perspectives of ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’
One of the biggest steps to bridge this gap, is communication. To understand one another and to work towards a better future. Because at the end of the day, education, advocacy and empathy, are the ingredients to a healthy political environment. These values of mine are closely shared with that of the Greens. Where it’s evident their passion and sense of justice remains a firm focus in their campaigns.
Today, I represent the interests of my peers as house representative, student councillor, and have been fortunate to be recipient of multiple awards.
But beyond any title or leadership position, I’m simply someone who is endlessly curious and deeply passionate.
I’m drawn to international media and public policy, observing how complex forces shape our world. And the more I learn, the more convinced I am that listening matters just as much as speaking.
I have seen how dangerous it can be to ignore the voices of others. I’ve learnt that just because it doesn’t affect me, doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.
Those close to me have heard me repeat these words time and time again, because I’ve seen how comfort, silence and hate are intertwined. How it allows injustice to persist.
To this day, I continue to question, analyse and think.
I use my voice because I know not everyone has one. My hope is to educate, encourage thoughtful discussions, and help people engage more confidently with their environment.
Australians are currently witnessing a dramatic surge in preference for populist leaders like that of US president Donald Trump, and Pauline Hanson.
The populism in power database reflects an estimated fivefold increase in the number of populist leaders since 1990. But what is the appeal?
What is populism? And why are the people of Australia so drawn to it?
Both in Australia and across the world, populist movements have gained increasing support. Whether on the left or the right, these movements are presented as ‘us against the elites.’
It’s presented in such a way that is specifically designed to appeal to voters, through the idea that it’s the ordinary people versus the political elite. It champions the division of society into the ‘pure people’ and ‘the corrupt elite.’
Its appeal lies in its simplicity. Most voters aren’t driven by hate or extremism, they’re frustrated. Australians want someone who can truly be their voice and do what’s in their best interest.
So when politicians communicate this, voters are at once drawn to their campaign.
Particularly in a time in Australia, where Australians are facing severe cost of living pressures, economic uncertainty, and housing crisis, straightforward solutions begin to seem incredibly attractive to voters.
The hidden agenda of populism
While populism can successfully identify genuine public concerns, its proposed solution and core principle is a lot more complicated.
Australia’s challenges, from housing affordability to climate change and mining, are highly complex. And therefore, require evidence-based policy, long term commitment, and constructive engagement rather than slogans alone.
This is why political literacy matters.
On paper, it sounds great, but in reality, populism can cause even greater divisions than anticipated.
Populism is littered with promises that cannot be kept, it’s a fundamentally flawed tactic to gain voter support. Once elected, they attempt to fulfill their promises, but instead place a plaster over a systemic wound. Where in the very end, regardless of political perspective, no one’s voice is truly heard, and temporary, often worse, ‘solutions’ are provided.
Populism is built on oversimplified claims championing revolutionary principles and support against the corrupt elite when in reality, the complex systematic issues of a country require a lot more than slogans to challenge key issues.
It ultimately divides us further, where the only person who ‘truly’ cares is the populist leader. Presenting themselves as radically different from the existing expectation. Loyalty to the people is manipulated to create polarisation and conflict.
Latin America & Populism
Latin America is experiencing a unique motion of democratic regression.
Populists typically oppose the foundations of democracy, such as rule of law, freedom of press, and more. This is so that leaders can weaken the independence of judges to slow legal limits on their power, and silence press criticism.
The early 2000s saw left wing populist leaders such as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia initiate state led wealth distribution and other movements.
However more recently, anti-establishment figures such as right-wing Javier Milei in Argentina and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador have gained widespread popularity and influenced immigration, inflation, and economic pressures.
In 2021, Bukele’s party used its legislative majority to summarily fire the country's Attorney General and all judges on the Supreme Court's constitutional panel, replacing them with loyalists who subsequently re-interpreted the constitution to allow his immediate re-election.
Under continuous ‘state of exception’ in order to help the people, Bukele suspended fundamental constitutional rights. Approximately 2 percent of the adult population has been jailed without trial and due process.
The systematic trade-off is while murder rates plummeted and homicides declined dramatically, civil liberties were lost and systematic arbitrary arrest grew common. Serving as a historical reminder of the possible consequences of populism.
So, is populism good or bad?
Beyond how we as voters feel about any particular candidate or party, it’s important we draw focus to the important question of whether the trend of growing popularity for populism should be embraced or rejected.
Ultimately, it all comes down to political literacy. Staying informed of the historical consequences of populism while taking into consideration the benefits and weighing the cost in comparison is the best tool to engage smartly in a democratic setting with populism.
Now more than ever, it is imperative we stay informed of who and what we are voting for.
Democracies rarely collapse overnight. More often, they are slowly weakened when citizens stop questioning simple answers to complex problems. Political literacy is therefore not simply an academic skill but rather one of democracy’s strongest safeguards.
Header photo: Credit: Sepé Tiaraju
[Opinions expressed are those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]