Dear Banjo,

Anybody can stand up, say an oath with
no intention of meaning it or believing in
it. It's called lying and it's very common.
Amongst all people.
Promises are constantly being made and broken.
If you start revoking citizenship on those
grounds - you may well end up with the same shortage of
labour problem that existed soon after the second
World War. Then it'll be back to square one once again -
looking overseas for
people to do the work.
How often are you going to keep on revoking citizenship?

Anansi and Fractelle,
So what you are actually saying is that persons who obtain benefits by fraud, deception and lies should be able to retain those benefits.

If that is OK by you, it is not by me. Welfare cheats lose their benefits do they not? So why should citizenship cheats not lose the benefits?

The big difference between born here citizens and those granted citizenship is that, those granted citizenship, are adult and did so at their own instigation. They made voluntary application and signed it. They were given information about our citizenship and they swore a public oath. We are so tolerant that we even allow them to retain their native citizenship.

Now you are accepting that some be allowed to publicly be contemptous of our society and stll retain all the benefits of being citizens. We generously granted citizenship to these people and should rightly expect a high ethical standard from them. Those that are not fair dinkum are not fit to be citizens.

Thankfully, most persons granted citizenship take it seriously and honestly, but that does not excuse those that are knowingly deceitful.

I believe it to be an insult to all to whom we have granted citizenship, when we allow continued benefits to those who abuse our standards.

JMCC,
At least one of the persons who openly showed contempt for our judicial system was alien born and I am given to understand some in the gallery also were contemptous.

Banjo

At risk of repeating myself:

<< So what you are actually saying is that persons who obtain benefits by fraud, deception and lies should be able to retain those benefits. >>

In a word "NO".

Like every Australian citizen who breaks the law so they shall be held to account by Australian law and sentenced, if found guilty, in accordance with Australian law.

What is the point of becoming an Australian citizen if you are not entitled to all the rights and responsibilities that come with being an Australian citizen?

Why are you so insistent on double standards for people born here and people who migrate here?

Dear Banjo,

Answer Fractelle's question - why the double standard?
Shouldn't everyone be held accountable according to
Australian law?

Australia has a reputation as an egalitarian and tolerant
country, a place where people feel they can stretch
their wings. What you're suggesting with your double
standard goes against that.

Fractelle and Foxy,
There is no double standard!

The born here citizens have NOT lied, cheated or deceived us whatever their opinion of our society.

The persons granted citizenship, that now hold us in contempt, HAVE lied, cheated and deceived to obtain that citizenship.

They are adults and knew exactly what they were doing.

So the reason their citizenship should be revoked is because they have lied, cheated and deceived. It is not accidental.

Exactly the same as welfare cheats and their benefits should be withdrawn!

Dear Banjo,

As another poster pointed out to you - many of
the people you're accusing were actually born
here. The others came as small children.
Our jails are full of people who have lied,
cheated, and committed crimes against our society.
Their citizenship hasn't been revoked.
And, as you well know - our country was founded on the
backs of convicts.
As Fractelle said - if a person commits a crime -
they should be tried according to Australian law,
and punished accordingly. That's fair enough.
Why revoke the citizenship of only a select few?
All 'criminals' lie, cheat and deceive.

Under John Howard - there were quite a few deportations.
One example was the case of the young Croat, (who came to this
country with his parents as a child).
They were citizens. He grew up here
and was educated but was deported to Croatia for
criminal activities committed.

In Croatia he didn't speak the language, didn't have
any relatives, the government didn't want to
help him, and he was forced to live on the street.
Due to appeals by his family in Australia (at the state
of his condition) - he was finally allowed to return back to
Australia.

This is simnply an example of what will end up happening with
the scenario that you're proposing - at great cost
to everyone involved - and will give a bad reputation
to Australia on the global scene.