If Australian citizens can't speak English (at all) then I'm quite happy to learn another language in order to communicate with them.

I'm certainly not in the business of denying a fellow human being citizenship because I'm:

a) too lazy to learn their language or

b) applicants oppose the current government; their values and ideology.

Despite reading this and a number of similar threads, I am really scratching my head trying to work out what, exactly, is meant by “Australian values” – that is the common values we hold that are different from the commonly held human values of anywhere else. The supposed values that, for some reason, it's necessary to gain explicit consent to from migrants (or visitors) before they’re allowed to join our club.

Perhaps I am a suspicious type, but when I hear the term “Aussie values” I hear dog whistling that – lets be explicit about this – is a calculated and cynical attempt to appeal to those who want to create the very kind of nationalist myths and racially based monocultural fantasies that most Australians I know find unequivocably repulsive.

English language skills – yes, I can definitely appreciate these as important for anyone trying to engage with any kind of depth and competence with the dominant culture, although these skills are pretty poor in large numbers of Australians whether born here or overseas. But perhaps those posters claiming a central role for “Aussie values” could drop the motherhood statements and enlighten the rest of us (including migrants) on exactly what these are.

Oh, and which "bits" of Australian history? Brownlow medalists? Don Bradman's batting scores?

Some of you need a history lesson .

Yet again we see the PM comment on the Australian culture and migration...

But he is wrong.

He is wrong about Integration and wrong to single out Muslims.
We had Assimilation under the White Australia policy.
We had Integration after that.
We now have Multiculturalism.

Personally I don't agree with multiculturalism, but seeing as I live in a democracy, I "tolerate" the decisions our so-called representative Governments make. Even if like this one, we were never given a choice about it.. Here is a policy, that surely required a referendum be held on it, if any policy ever did.

Under Mutliculturalism, there is no requirement foir Integration. If the PM wants that then he should change the policy to that of Integration. Instead of fiddling at the edges and continually changing the definition to try and shore up greater acceptance of it withing the wider community. Australia has been advertised for over a generation now to migrants as being Multicultural, that is; a society of many cultures. Who are we then to say to them, sorry,... you need to adopt our language and our values, when language and values are integral to culture. This is the rod we have made for our own back. This is the policy that dissenters have been branded racist for since its inception.
No.. Mr Howard is wrong. If the policy is wrong, then let's see it changed. Let's see someone with the courage of their convictions.

PS Andrew Bartlett is clueless on this as with most topics.

I'm in agreement with Snout (& most others above) on this. Bill's article amounts to little more than more dog-whistling. Howard (and to a slightly lesser extent, Beazley) has learnt well from his experience of the One Nation phenomenon of a few years back: the Australian electorate is - and has been more or less continuously since Federation - inherently predisposed towards xenophobia, so a pitch to the lowest common denominator is necessary in order to get elected.

Such is democracy, Australian-style. Maybe would-be citizens should be required to know that, too!

How is this for one simple way to help migrants fit into the "Australian way of life" Publish a list of behaviour which the majority of our citizens consider to be offensive and/or not acceptable. If this list is used to moderate the behaviour of both present and proposed citizens, then we are left with what could be called a "way of life". Of course this proposal will have to be very carefully studied by a panel of "experts" before it is implemented. Should be entertaining anyway.

ALMO says "Publish a list of behaviour which the majority of our citizens consider to be offensive and/or not acceptable."

Believe it or not, every state publishes such a list. Choose your state from the following list:

W.A.: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_act/cc94/
N.S.W.: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/
QUEENSLAND: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_act/cc189994/
S.A.: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/consol_act/clca1935262/
VICTORIA: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/ca195882/
TASMANIA http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/tas/consol_act/cca1924115/sch2.html