Dear Leigh,

When is an Australian not an Australian?

Gosh, that's a tough question. And I'm not sure
if I can express it properly.
But I'll try.

I'd have to say that it's when in their hearts people don't
feel a sense of belonging to the nation. When
they don't feel a sense of loyalty and pride in
the nation's culture and history.
Basically Leigh, I guess it's what you feel in
your heart.

As the old saying goes, "East, West, Home is Best!"
You hear people waxing lyrical and singing songs
like, "Take Me Back To ..." wherever.
And Home has got this hold over you. You can feel it
coming through to your soul. I remember while travelling
overseas - I spotted what I thought was wattle growing
by the roadside (it turned out not to be). But the emotion
I felt. I knew it was time to return home. No matter where
you live (and I've lived in various places) there is
always a moment when you're on a plane and someone asks,
"Where are you going?" and you reply, "Home!" Oh What
A Feeling!"

As for the lady you speak of in your opening post...
Leigh, I'm not sure that you're judging her correctly.
People often don't express themselves very well when
being confronted ( as she was by the bus driver).
Her reply, "I'm Maltese," may simply have been a reference
to her ancestry - her parentage. And the fact that her
religion is Muslim, shouldn't come into the equation at all.

It is more than time the double passport business was stopped, it is an open invitation to rort. You choose to live in Australia, you accept the benefits this country gives you, you should, in return, owe this country some loyalty.
If you find you cannot offer any loyalty, you should leave.
Anyone who makes Australia home should be prepared to live by Australian rules and they are pretty tolerant rules. Respectable dress is fine but face coverings should not be permitted for security's sake. Plus most Australians find them repulsive.
Life here should be give and take but we find most of the newcomers only believe in the 'take' bit.

I at first thought it better to stay out of this.
It is my view the bus driver as wrong, so too is the woman, maybe she wants to be a victim?
Not that she wears that thing but that she denies her nationality, no time for her.
But AS how do you conclude MOST Australians have two nationality's?
You stray far from reality my Friend often.
It is not even close to being true.
That bought me to this thread your continuing claims about my country and its people baffle me.

Leigh, was that a misprint regarding the date of the incident you related? You wrote "Daily Telegraph, 24/7/70".

As has been stated, she may have had dual citizenship, but from memory I think this is only possible in Australia after April 2002. If she did have dual citizenship, then she is just as Maltese as she is Australian.

If this incident did take place 39 years ago, why did you choose such an old incident?

Peter The Believer, Schapelle Corby was sent to prison there NOT "because the law is not christian" as you have stated; she was imprisoned because she BROKE INDONESIAN LAW regarding the transportation of illegal drugs. Like many religious fundamentalists - - - - you TWIST THE TRUTH!

Here's a fact that most people are ignorant of - - - if any person was born in Australia, or migrated to here, prior to 26/01/1949 they could not possibly be "Australian citizens" at the time.

The status of "Australian citizen" did not exist before that time.

All Australians were "British subjects" until 26/01/1949. Only after that date, were they Australian citizens.

“Why should we sympathise with people who deny their nationality?”

Good verb there Leigh.