Hi Antonios.

I disagree. I think that a citizenship test is a sound idea - not only that, I think that everybody should be required to pass one, whether they're born in Australia or not.

It should be the qualification for being granted the privilege to vote in Australian elections.

Mind you, I'm aware that my opinion on this is not a very popular one :)

Submissions on the discussion paper 'Australian citizenship: much more than just a ceremony'and “to the Australian Citizenship Test Review Committee” of :

1a The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission,
Should Australia introduce a formal citizenship test?
Safeguards should a formal citizenship test be introduced
Discrimination under international law
Does the proposed Citizenship Test have a legitimate aim?
Consideration of the negative impact of the proposed changes
Whether other approaches would alleviate these risks whilst achieving the same goals
“the Commission considers that any potential benefits are likely to be outweighed by the negative impact the changes will have on social cohesion within our community.”

http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/report/citizenship_paper_2006.html

1b. The discriminatory impact of the test
Achieving the purpose of the test
Improving the operation and effectiveness of the test
There should be provision for alternative procedures and exemptions from the eligibility criteria in appropriate cases.
Support services should be extended to improve the capacity of applicants from NESB and refugees to pass the test, including human rights and education programs.
Safeguards for applicants who fail the test
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/legal/submissions/2008/20080605_citizenship_test.html

2. FECCA
Submission to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the Review of the Citizenship Test
1. FECCA remains strongly opposed to the concept of a formal citizenship
test as it creates an unnecessary barrier to full participation and social
inclusion;
http://www.fecca.org.au/Submissions/2008/submissions_2008019.pdf

3. Submission to the review of The Australian Citizenship Test. Of Refugee Council of Australia
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/docs/resources/submissions/2008_citizenship_test_review.pdf

4. The submission of Catholic Church
http://www.acmro.catholic.org.au/documents/ResponsetoDiscussionPaperCitizenship.pdf

5. of the Uniting Church in Australia
“In March 2008, the Uniting Church National Assembly adopted a position to oppose the continued use of the Citizenship Test. The Uniting Church’s opposition to the test is based on the following grounds:”
http://www.alphasys.com.au/uca2/trunk/images/pdfs/issues/democracy/submissions/unitingchurchcitizenshiptestreviewsubmission.pdf

Please Read the :
Australian Citizenship Test Outcomes –
First Quarter 2009–10
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/_pdf/sep-2009.pdf

The article “A test that will divide, not unite” of Professor Brian Costar and senior research fellow Peter Mares
http://www.apo.org.au/commentary/test-will-divide-not-unite

The article of MP Petro Georgiou on Australian citizenship test
http://www.philosophyblog.com.au/petro-georgiou-on-the-australian-citizenship-test/

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser said the citizenship test is unwise, foolish and will create division. I agree!
Antonis Symeonakis
Adelaide

CJ Morgan
I do not write what is popular but what I think is useful.
I know that it is not very popular and already I paid for it!
I was coordinator for migration and multiculturalism of Democrats
"Hi Antonis,

At its meeting on 17th November, the National Policy Committee considered your application to coordinate the Immigration & Multiculturalism Policy Group, and I am happy to advise that you were appointed to that position. Congratulations and welcome.

We are currently finalising the Policy Coordinator guidelines for your use. Kathryn Crosby has been assigned the operational responsibilities of managing the policy Groups in the short term and will be in contact with you and she can help with any questions you have. I have copied her in this message, along with the Nat Secretary, Brian Dickson, so you have their contact details.

Thank you for contributing to Australian politics (in the best way I know - by being an Australian Democrat) and for giving your time and skills to our best practice policy work. I look forward to working with you.

Cheers,

Julia Melland
National President
Australian Democrats"

Last week I stepped down when I wrote "The abolition of the citizenship test is a national necessity, as Coordinator for Migration and Multiculturalism of Australian Democrats, I strongly advocate as my top priority the abolition of the citizenship. Antonios Symeonakis "
You see I do not afraid to go against the winds but I have paid for it many times
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

My memory is good AS I had no intention of contributing to this thread.
A very brief look at your post history under that first name, your own, will show views on migration that few, me included could agree with.
I have contempt, nothing less for the way some applied this test.
In a rural city's post office the post mistress, of Chinese extraction, had three young Lady's in shreds.
I welcomed them to Australia, told them the woman who tortured them had not had to face that test and she got into me too.
She bought the crowd against her and lost that debate.
yet I stand by a test, a way of seeing if people understand what we are about.
It is my choice and right to be me, AS I have made up my mind, I will not contribute to threads you start.
As I said this had not been my intention, to post here, but as a crowd is gathering I needed to go on record.

As far as I knew, a minimum level of English literacy is a minimum requirement for permanent residence (a precursor for citizenship for all except refugees) and has been in place for decades.

I stand to be corrected, but it certainly has been a requirement for naturalisation of skilled labour for many years.

The citizenship test is the biggest waste of money and time and serves no purpose other than to give a false impression that the government is being strict on who it lets in. The security, health and other screening processes are in place to determine those risks - what on earth does the CT achieve?

So what if a refugee doesn't know who won the Test Cricket or who Captain Cook was. How do these ridiculous questions help determine an applicant's behaviour or thoughts about being an Australian; or how would they ferret out the would-be terrorists or other spurious agenda on the part of the applicant?

I was horrified when Rudd chose to keep the Citizenship Test. Half the Aussies I know probably wouldn't pass it. I would probably fail on most of the sports questions and I was born here.

Humphrey Appleby is in his element and all is right with the world.