When it comes to refugees, the second issue touching on race, the government is seeking to exploit divisions on the Labor side between the pragmatists in Parliament who want to wait until after the election to close the Pacific Island detention camps and the party members who want to bring the refugees home immediately.

The third controversy is not of Australia’s making but could damage social cohesion if it is mishandled. The whole country is wary of Beijing’s attempt to influence political and academic debate in Australia, and politicians are working on bipartisan legislation against foreign interference. The challenge for the main parties is to assure Chinese-Australians that they are not being targeted; on the contrary, political leaders should make clear that these measures are for the benefit of all Australians, including those of Chinese descent. Australia’s argument is with the Communist Party of China, not the Chinese people here.

The Labor Party has a strong incentive to address these racial matters head on. Not only is Australia’s electorate becoming increasingly Asian and Eurasian, but a full attack on the conservatives about race may be the only way for Labor to resolve its own rift on refugee policy. And more important, keeping the doors open to immigrants, especially those who are the most vulnerable, is morally and economically the right thing to do.

The leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, should challenge Mr. Turnbull to resettle all the refugees who have been stranded on Manus Island and Nauru for the past several years. The refugees remain in limbo as a supposed deterrent to future boat arrivals. But every day they are denied their freedom affects not just their well-being but also Australia’s international reputation.

If Mr. Shorten can unite his own side on refugees with a principled stand, he would then be free to exploit the division within the government on the regular immigration program, which is split between those like Mr. Turnbull who support the current system and those who want to sharply reduce the number of new arrivals.

One strategic goal for Labor would be to win over Chinese-Australian conservatives. The Turnbull government would likely lose power if a handful of cosmopolitan electorates in Sydney and Melbourne, where the Chinese-born cluster, swung to Labor.