In my opinion (as a voluntary tutor and one who loves and respects my students)

1. I think all new migrants and refugees under the age of 50 must learn to speak the English language and must be held accountable to do so.

2. We need to be upfront and proud of our own culture and history and the fact that we are happy to absorb cultures of others but expect them to accept and adapt to ours.

Am I out of place when I get upset in shopping centres where there is scarcely a word of English visible on shop windows or on goods inside the shops, and when the staff do not speak English to each other?

This seems to be more Coalition doublespeak. At any rate (i)unauthorised boat arrivals don't weaken the acceptance of migrants. The people who are very hostile to boat arrivals are hostile to migrants in general. (ii) Didn't Ms Gambaro make some rather narky remarks about hygiene a while back? So what credibility does she have here on this topic. (iii) Its mostly Anglo-Australians that are trapped on welfare - not migrants.

It is disappointing that there's always someone who want to repeat the sins of bad journalism. What I know of this lady, Ms Gambaro, is that she comes from a migrant family herself. Who better to give us insights into what migrants to Australia need by way of support to succeed in Australia? I'm sure she could enlighten us as to how important being able to speak English was growing up in this country with Italian migrant parents. Surely no-one can seriously suggest that helping migrants master English in an English speaking country is a bad thing or should not be a priority. Bravo Ms Gambaro!

Why do we always make simple things so hard?

All we need is a couple of simple laws.

No English reading & speaking comprehension, no drivers licence, ever.

No real English after 2 years, no welfare.

QED. All would master English pretty damn quick, without any public expenditure at all.

Immigration has made Australia weaker because of multicultural divide and conquer tactics like the one imbedded in this opinion piece.

As an example we could say that uni students shouldn't pay for the educational infrastucture they use and that they should be "set-up" (Code for PAID Hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars) to succeed in their courses as they raise their living standard and outcomes through education.

I could accept that because at least students parents have paid for the infrastructures necessary to get them to university standard.

But when migrants say the same thing, all they are saying is " pay us the hundreds of thousands to set us up or we will vote LIBERAL". Further, I cannot accept this. Migrants under this political blackmail scheme are bludging on infrastructures paid for by long term taxpayers who now must pay for the burden of raising the living standards of migrants who scorn them for being such stupid skippys as to let this travesty happen.

The point is if my children have to pay HECS of $300,000 to lift their living standard and opportunities then so should migrants when they come from overseas int our capital cities. That is only JUST.

The OFarrellesque stupidity of private partnership infrastructure agreements where taxpayers and people who have already PAID for their infrastructure must pay up to 3 times more to use it in future is a CRIME that will go down in HISTORY as Australia's greatest folly.

It is clear from the prices we are NOW paying and will soon PAY for infrastructure usage , utilities and services that australia is a far worse place than ever in its history. Immigration and baby bonusing are POOPULATION levers for turning democracy into DICTATORSHIP. Migrants demanding for ever more TAXPAID handouts as blackmail for their VOTEs will soon be seen for the international freeloaders they really are.

Never mind more handouts! IF YOU WANT TO UPGRADE YOUR LIFE OPPORTUNITIES IN A NEW COUNTRY -PAY FOR IT like everyone else here. Its not a lot to ask given the Generous HECS style terms .

No matter how much the pollies whinge it is a legal right for anyone to seek asylum here and it is perfectly legal to catch a boat to do so.

It is nothing to do with border security because the founder of the LIberal party Sir Robert Menzies helped to write the laws that forbid using the entry of refugees as border security issues.

When do these ignorant ranters learn the law?