Introduction
This message guide has been developed by Common Cause Australia in partnership with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Democracy in Colour, with additional input from GetUp, Victorian Trades Hall Council, and Australian Progress.
This is an interim guide based on early research with persuadable audiences carried out by Common Cause Australia as part of a larger forthcoming project on framing migration in Australia. It is designed for organisations communicating with the public in the run-up to the Victorian Election in November 2026. In addition to our own early research, this interim guide draws on research carried out by GetUp, Victorian Trades Hall Council and ACTU, who kindly shared recent insights.
During elections, debates about migration, multiculturalism, refugees and people seeking asylum can become particularly heightened. Racial scapegoating and divisive rhetoric can become more prominent in public debate.
With the Victorian election taking place in November 2026, we are releasing these interim findings to support organisations communicating on these issues at a time when they are being actively discussed. The Victorian election also provides an opportunity to learn from how these messages work in practice ahead of the publication of the full message guide in early 2027.
The full guide on combating scapegoating and speaking about refugees and migrants will incorporate further quantitative testing, more detailed audience segmentation and learnings from the use of this interim message guide. To be notified when the final guide is published, sign up here.
Our Strategy
How racist narratives gain hold
Research in Australia and internationally shows that support for far-right populism and its associated racism grows when people are experiencing economic insecurity and losing faith that the political system will improve their lives.
That dissatisfaction has real foundations. Over several decades neoliberal policies have helped concentrate more wealth in fewer hands, while the majority of people struggle with housing costs, insecure work and stretched public services.
As wealth has become more concentrated, so has political voice, with the largest corporations and wealthiest individuals buying ever more political influence. The result has been policies designed to serve the interests of a wealthy and powerful few, rather than the broader community.
It is not surprising that many people feel the system is not working for them, or that they are angry about it.
The far right thrives on this anger, but offers a false explanation for it. Instead of focusing attention on the concentration of wealth and power, it redirects frustration towards non-white migrants, refugees and other marginalised groups. Rather than discussing why so much wealth is taken by the very richest, they encourage us to argue about who among the rest of us deserves what is left.
How to change the conversation
The far right wants the Victorian election to become a referendum on migration and cultural identity.
It’s not surprising they want this. Our research shows far-right narratives resonate more strongly when the main question being discussed is ‘What do we do about migration?’, but they lose support when the topic shifts to ‘What do we do about economic and social inequality?’
The good thing is that most participants in our research did not naturally name migration as their top of mind cause for the problems in their lives. Instead, they were open to conversations about why life has become harder for so many people, who benefits from the way things currently work, who has the power to change it, and what would actually make life better.
Focusing on real life solutions to real life problems – how people can afford a home, pay their bills, access healthcare, earn a decent wage and give their children a secure future – is a powerful way to undermine anti-migrant narratives and counteract the feelings of hopelessness that can make far-right narratives more appealing.
The approach that follows is therefore aimed at helping advocates tell a better story about why times are tough and what we can do about it. That story should bring people together across many different backgrounds to improve life for everyone, rather than fighting among ourselves while wealth and power continue to concentrate in the hands of those who profit from dividing us.
How to use this guide
The remainder of this guide provides practical tips for shaping your messaging during the heightened public debate ahead of the Victorian election. It is divided into two parts:
- Part 1: Telling our story – how to proactively shift attention towards the issues, explanations and solutions we want people thinking about during an election.
- Part 2: Countering their story – how to respond when migration and other far-right frames are introduced, without reinforcing or amplifying them.
Note: some organisations will need to speak directly about migration, multiculturalism, racism and refugee rights on every occasion because these issues are central to their work. Some of the advice in this guide is for advocates who have a choice about whether to introduce migration into the conversation; other tips are designed for organisations that must and should speak about these issues directly. Use the guidance that best fits your role and context.
Contents
- Introduction
- Our strategy
- How to use this guide
- Summary of advice
- Part 1: Telling our story
- Part 2: Countering their story
- Part 3: Proactive messaging examples
- Part 4: Responsive messaging examples
- Sources and further reading
- Appendix: Approach and Methodology
Download Resource
Download the messaging guide: Real problems. Real solutions. Moving beyond racial scapegoating during the Victorian election.
