Kebin Andrews is making me really angry today. For a start, apparently we are now no longer accepting African refugees anymore because supposedly they don't integrate/assimilate well enough. As if it's not bad enough that we have apparently now started basing our immigration policy on assimilation, we have now also started basing our refugee policy on it. Andrews says it's not "based on race, as such"!!! But it is sorta hey Kev. Never mind whether the people of Darfur are being carved up by the millions, what matters is whether or not they can pass your stupid citizenship test.
Speaking of which, I've just been having a look at the new citizenship test. There is a booklet that prospective citizens have to read to get the information for the test. It is written in absolute jargonese, bureaucratese gibberish:
"Australian citizens who are living
outside Australia when their children
are born are able to register those
children as Australian citizens at any
Australian diplomatic mission overseas.
This means that their children will
also have access to all the privileges
of Australian citizenship even though
they were not born in Australia."
Many Australians have integrated into Australian society with a far worse grasp of English than is required to read and understand this. I wonder how many Australians would know this information, would be able to understand what it says, would be able to retain the information.
I also learned from the test that Australia has seemingly reintroduced compulsory military service. According to the question, Australians have a responsibility to defend Australia's way of life should the need arise. A vague and bizarre question to have on the test. What do they mean by defend? I wasn't aware this was a responsibility.
Citizens are required to memorise information and phrases that include such words as "guideposts" (is that even a word?!?) "worthy endeavour", "consistent with the pledge of loyalty", "full consular assistance", "equitable" etc. I'd love to see how Australians with a Year 10 or 12 education would go with understanding this brochure.
"While these values are shared by many liberal democracies, they have been adapted to Australia's unique setting, moulded and modernised through waves of settlement by people from all over the world. These values and principles reflect strong influences on Australia's history and culture. These include Judeo-Christian ethics, a British political heritage and the spirit of the European Enlightenment. Distinct Irish and non-conformist attitudes and sentiments have also been important".
Got that?
How many Australians know what the European Enlightenment is? Or Judeo-Christian ethics? In what way have non-conformaist attitudes been important? Does tat mean we are allowed to break the law? What the f do they mean by that phrase? And have the Aborigines had no influence on this country they lived in for 40,000 years minimum?
And once you've got a handle on the values that are important to Australia, don't worry because Australians don't care about them anyway:
"This statement of values should not be seen as a quest for conformity or a common set of beliefs. On the contrary, respect for the free-thinking indivivual and the right to be different are the foundations of Australian democracy."
WTF?! You want citizens to know the important values to Australians, but you value non-conformity to them. Remember that these values we don't have to conform to include equality of men and women, freedom of speech, and peacefulness.
Then there's the info about each state you have to memorise. How many Queenslanders out there knew that:
Victoria is the smallest of the mainland
states in area but the second most
populous and the most densely populated.
The boom years of the 19 th century left
Victoria with a legacy of fine architecture
and ‘Marvellous Melbourne ’ was renowned
as one of the great cities of the southern
hemisphere.
Or that the Northern Territory is twice the size of France?
Are you aware of Australia's other administered lands?:
The Australian Government also
administers Ashmore and Cartier
Islands, hristmas Island, he Cocos
(Keeling) slands, he Coral Sea
Islands, Heard Islands, he McDonald
Islands, Norfolk Island and the
Australian Antarctic Territory.
I've never even heard of most of these!
There are pages and pages of historical facts to memorise, including what poet Henry Lawson's mother did, when the first Melbourne Cup was held, where Phar Lap's body is now held, who the first female politician was, the differences between the Labor and Liberal Parties, Australia's early ettitudes towards protectionist economic policies, when the Arbitration Court first set the minimum wage (and what the arbitration court is), details of the Eureka stockade, why we originally had the White Australia Policy (according to the booklet),
Some people make me genuinely ashamed of being Australian. There are many things I am proud of about being an Australian. But this is not one of them.