Basically to me an Australian, is a person that lives here... and as Merry said... puts Australia before all other like country of origin and rubbish like religion (this should be left at home... don't bring your crappie idiot religions here and impose them on us). If a person that comes here from somewhere else can manage these two SIMPLE things... then they are welcome to call them selfs an Australian as far as I am concerned...

But when people want to go to a school for example... and there are say 1000 plus students... there is a standard dress code... and one wants to break it to wear a head scarf (what ever you call them?) then... I am sorry... you should not expect to get the rules changed just for you.. and you alone, either abide by the rules layout when you start... or find a school that accommodates your needs...

This type of behavior I find somewhat redicouls... People complain that it's there culture, religion or what ever... now we have examples of schools in WA not sing Xmas Carrol's not to offend the musslims... this is a contradiction if I have ever seen one...
we kill our culture, religious practices, to accommodate some peoples we let come and share our truly wonderful place to live on the planet... But they will not budge when it comes to there's... (These people are not Australian, there a pain in the butt)

well if these people don't like our rules they should not come... if your a refugee and you don't like our rules, then the rules are more than likely allot better than where you came from, so deal with them....

Shonga “Those like Col Rouge, being a Tory, probably thinks Meg will vote against the government, which is why he wants her to go home. Meg has every right to voice her concern, as does every Australian citizen. What is needed is, if anyone disagrees with Meg{and I don't} is to present a contary point of view, those without a contary arguement, can only say "if you don't like it leave", and by the way Col, John{Bonsai} Howard does not speak for me,”

Go read my post again – I did not suggest Meg simply go home.

I suggested that if Meg considered her right of access to Australia, as a New Zealander to be “less than equal” to the treatment of others, then her own “socialist conscience” (all people being equal) and ethics would compel her to remove herself and apply without the advantages of the “accident of her birth”.
That she does not suggests her protests are more to do with “rabble rousing” and her ethics are non-existent.

That you should contrive what I said to suggest an ulterior motive for my post show your own lack of insight, comprehension of ethics and moral standards.

John Howard speaks for more people than anyone else in the arena of Australian Politics. If you think your view is pre-eminent I suggest you test it at the ballot box, that is where John Howard gained his authority.

So test yourself and see how well you fair. Then you will realise how insignificant, irrelevant and marginal your own views are.

integration is a slow process - history has shown us it does occur eventually in the vast majority of cases; many people still cling to their traditions and values to some degree but our experience with European migration, English, Italians, greeks, Vietnamese clearly indicates compromise and tolerance usually over comes any remnant differences.

We choose to ascribe false meaning and significance to practices such as wearing the hijab, eating halal or kosher foods and even feeling some how affronted by other consideration regarding religious observance.

Some choose quite consciously to let these really trifling issues worry us. Integration should not be confused with capitulation of beliefs and life long habits.

Loyalty to a country is learnt; We as a nation need to demosntrate the value of loyalty - we have failed on that front by insisting people make wholesale changes to their way of life because we dont like it.

There is no switch in your head that allows immediate allegiance to any one or anything - people dont come here to be loyal they first come here to live, work and maybe raise families often becuase they did not have the opportunity to do these things in their country of birth.

I've had more proslytising Christians knocking on my door - some with annoying persistance pressuring me to fal in line with their sets of beliefs - than I have had Islamists haranguing me.

We are free to say no to immigrants and equally some of us are free to say why say no? what is it that makes you afraid; they are free to say give us some consideration in how they dress pray and eat

Acceptance and tolerance is not pandering.

Any number of people might some how think it is right to further marginalise those who present us with differences we find uncomfortable and go further to turn what is essentially our problem of intolerance and inflexibilty into their problem - but weight od numbers is not an arguemment - the majority can be wrong; in this case I believe that they are.

Dear Mr .net noobie. if you think that an "Australian' is simply somebody who lives here",then I can give three examples which prove you wrong.

The first is our own dear poster "Rainier" who tells us he is not an "Australian",he is a aborigine.

The second is from firebrand Islamic cleric Abu Abbas, who was famously quoted as saying "Our loyalty is to Allah and his prophet, not to Queen and country. Nationality means nothing."

And the Greek government does not agree with you either. Is a man born in Australia of Greek parents an Australian or a Greek? According to the Greek Government, he is a Greek.

This extraordinary fact came to light when Toula Soravia was shot dead in Sydney, right in front of her son,by a gang of thugs intent on robbing her. One of the offenders fled to Greece,but the Greek government refused to extradite him back to Australia because even if he was born in Australia, they regarded him as Greek. And Greeks don't shop Greeks to Anglos. Even if the killer murdered a Greek woman who was born in Greece.

Now I applaude the Greeks loyalty to their own people. And I think that some posters on this site could improve their own sense of identity towards their own people by emulating the Greeks. But if aboriginees, religious leaders and foreign governments consider ethnicity or religious affiliation as more important indicators of social identity than place of birth, then why should North European Protestant Australian people be any different?

The term "Australian" once defined the Australian people. But under multiculturalism, "Australian' can mean anything,or nothing.

Regarding 'assimilation' and integration and immigration.

I would not have the slightest qualm in doing the following:

If assimilation etc can be measured, by various indicators, I would use this information to influence selection criteria of 'which races' are more or less allowed to come to Australia.

For particular groups demonstrating 'low assimilation' skills and attitudes, the quota from that country/race would be substantially reduced in immigration places. And of course. vice versa.

Some measurable criteria:

1/ Language skills.
2/ Knowledge of Australian history and culture including poetry.
3/ Cross cultural relationships
4/ Attitudes "Are they 'Greeks of Australian nationality' or are they Australians of 'greek ancestry'.

The last one is particularly important. Any who regard themselves as 'Greek' first, are welcome to return forthwith. ... to Greece.

Ooops.. I see a little pair of dark hands and a head popping over a fence.. yes.. its RANIER :) about to give me all the same 'tests' for the Anglo white devils :)

Cheers all

I would like to explain to the racists posting on this thread how a non-racist Aussie sees this land.
Those with the greatest historical claim to Oz are those whose ancestors were here prior to 1770, but through violent dominance the Oz Aboriginal nation has been reduced to a shadow of what it could be. Almost defenceless from the day of meeting with Cook & co, there has been no chance against raging western imperialist racism. It took until the 1960’s for the realisation that we are all human, no matter what the colour, religion or cultural background to find it’s way into Oz law. It’ll take another several hundred before the last vestiges of racism are removed from humanity – but it will happen.
I mix with many different nationalities on a daily basis, & have done so since childhood. Through school I had friends from all over the world – I tended to mix with those of similar interests & disposition, with no regard to ‘race’. As a matter of fact I had more friends of non-anglo background than anglo. We’re not born racist, we learn it. I was never taught it & still have not been.
In my day-to-day activities, rarely does the racial origin of others enter the equation. When the question of racial origin arises, I’m a 4th gen Scottish origin ‘skip’. I learn from the different cultures presented to me.
We are probably the greatest ‘multicultural’ nation on Earth. We have few ‘historical chains’ hauling us in one direction or another. Lets not let the pressures applied by poor government push us to racist tribalism, as can happen.