In this episode of Family Matters, Simon is joined by Dr Kevin Donnelly AM from Australia. Kevin is a well-respected educationalist, commentator, and author. He has recently started writings on Substack on the question of multiculturalism and cultural relativism.
Kevin argues multiculturalism has failed, preferring assimilation into shared Western liberal-democratic values rooted in Christianity, common law, and parliamentary institutions, and warns that incompatible legal and cultural systems, including Sharia and fundamentalist Islam, undermine social cohesion.
They discuss how culture and education shape politics, rather than the other way around. Kevin argues that schools have driven a long ‘centre-left’ shift through teaching ideas like climate alarmism, gender transitioning, diversity and a “black armband” view of Western history. In turn, this has lead to a backlash in many counties, with figures like Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation rising in the political scene.
Kevin says the reaction includes both older voters and younger people who face real-life consequences such as quotas around university access or for jobs, and concerns about sex-based spaces, particularly for women and girls. Simon and Kevin also discuss a renewed interest in Christianity amongst the young, with many now seeking a moral grounding and hope. This wide ranging discussion ends with an optimistic discussion about the rise of classical education, homeschooling growth, and more people standing up to defend our Western cultural inheritance.
To check out Kevin’s Substack, go to https://drkevindonnelly.substack.com/ or check out his website, https://kevindonnelly.com.au/ #familymatters #familyfirstnz
