Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is always a pleasure to rise in this place and discuss the topic of citizenship, the common bond that binds us together as a nation, particularly on this day—National Citizenship Day. However, I rise today to raise some concerns with the legislation before the House, theAustralian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Test Review and Other Measures) Bill 2009. We are a country that has been built on migration and our migrant population is still growing. The ABS website estimates that we have a net gain of one international migrant every two minutes and 23 seconds. My electorate of Swan has a particularly large migrant population. At the time of the last census, only 57.5 per cent of my constituents said that they were born in Australia. This compares with a national average of 70.9 per cent. The electorate of Swan is not dominated by any particular migrant group: the migrants in Swan have arrived from all over the world. I truly have the world in my electorate; it is a beacon of diversity. Despite the fact that just 57.5 per cent of locals are Australian born, 76.6 per cent are Australian citizens. This shows that there are a large number of people in my electorate who have gone through the process of becoming an Australian citizen and I know many others are going through this process at the moment. My office provides immigration assistance on a day-to-day basis and I know what a challenging pathway it is and how well deserved eventual citizenship is.

I believe parts of this bill devalue the hard work and effort of all the people in my electorate who have achieved or are striving for Australian citizenship through the normal process. The special residence requirement for persons representing Australia at international events, or what members have referred to as the ‘elite athletes amendment’, provides for the fast tracking of citizenship for elite athletes so they can represent Australia at the Olympic and international games. Under normal circumstances, athletes, like everyone else, have to wait the obligatory four years to become a citizen. This bill would give the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship discretion to shorten the residency requirement for elite athletes nominated by either the AOC or Tennis Australia. Therein lies the first contradiction: why only tennis or from the AOC? What is wrong with golf? Is it because it is not an Olympic sport yet?

I understand that the Australian Olympic Committee has pressured the government into this move over the high-profile case of Russian ice speed-skater Ms Tatiana Borodulina, who must obtain Australian citizenship by 22 September if she is to be eligible to compete for Australia at next year’s Winter Olympics. I sympathise with Ms Borodulina, as I strongly support sport, but the fact is that she has not resided in Australia for the period required to allow her to apply for citizenship. It is the same rule for everyone—and so it should be. I am disappointed with both the government and the Australian Olympic Committee for promoting this clause, which is not only against the spirit of citizenship but against the spirit of the Olympics. The minister himself is on record as saying:

These changes will lead to more gold medals for Australia at sporting events …

I remind the Labor Party of the fundamental principles of Olympism as documented in the Olympic Charter:

1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

3. The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organised, universal and permanent action, carried out under the supreme authority of the IOC, of all individuals and entities who are inspired by the values of Olympism. It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of the world’s athletes at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its symbol is five interlaced rings.

4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The organisation, administration and management of sport must be controlled by independent sports organisations.

5. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.

6. Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and recognition by the IOC.

Nowhere does this list of principles say that the Olympics is about winning gold medals at any cost and elevating the rights of athletes above those of people dutifully waiting for their special day. The Olympic spirit is about playing and promoting the benefits of sport.

As a director of junior development for the Perth Football Club, I see the benefits that young people get from playing team sport. Sport fosters social integration. It brings together all parts of our diverse community and it is healthy. The values we teach the kids in sport, particularly at the elite level, include waiting to earn their right to get to the level they need to get to. This demonstration of making exceptions for elite athletes is going to go against those values that we teach our young children in our communities. Why in the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic are we spending our time legislating for more gold medals? I say to members that today our nation would be far better served if it were considering at this moment legislation that would support junior sport across Australia. Why is it that only the AOC and Tennis Australia are on the list? It seems that the best lobbyists are the ones who win.

I am always pleased to attend citizenship ceremonies in my electorate and meet the diverse range of people taking the pledge. I have met individuals and families originally from places as varied as the United Kingdom, Sudan and Mauritius. Many have waited a long time to become citizens of Australia and they are overcome with the emotion of the ceremony. Credit is due to the staff of each council, who make these ceremonies a special occasion for the recipients. I know a considerable amount of time goes into contacting each new citizen and ensuring that they receive a certificate and a gift from Australia. Citizenship ceremonies are often held in the council buildings with family and friends in attendance.

Congratulations to Mwambi and Badibanga Kabala of Carlisle, who recently obtained their citizenship at the Town of Victoria Park ceremony. It is always good to see members of the same family obtain their citizenship together. It was also a family occasion in the city of South Perth recently when the Sonnendeckers achieved their citizenship. Congratulations to all of them.

I have other constituents who recently received their citizenship: Mr Sudarsha Ganegoda of Queens Park, Mr Fasil Worku of East Cannington, Mr Grant Martin of Ferndale, Mr Hazrat Ahmadzai of St James, Mr Mohammad Moinuddin of East Victoria Park and the Van Dyk family of Salter Point. These are all people who have recently become citizens in my electorate of Swan. I hope I am giving the members some idea of how international my local area is.

Waiting lists to attend citizenship ceremonies in my area now extend to February or March next year. The number of recipients waiting for their day has increased significantly in recent years. One of the most popular dates to receive citizenship has always been 26 January, Australia Day. The councils in the electorate of Swan often have requests from recipients to be involved in ceremonies on that day. The local governments work tremendously hard to accommodate most people with these desires and the Australia Day ceremonies are very large-scale events. What I find most touching is the elderly new citizens, many of whom have lived in Australia for years before applying. The stories that these people tell never cease to amaze me and it is gratifying to watch them officially become Australians. For most it is more than just a piece of paper.

I have also been involved in two private ceremonies in my office. Recently a constituent of mine, Kathryn Day, was eligible for citizenship but due to the waiting list with her local council was not going to be made an official citizen until early January. Ms Day was due to attend university on exchange in Denmark for a semester and was hoping to apply for an Australian passport prior to her departure. Last year I also had a citizenship ceremony for a Como resident, Mick Prescott. This man had fought for the Australian Defence Force and was still not a citizen. I was pleased that Mr Prescott brought his family with him to celebrate on the day. In conversations with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship it was decided that as Ms Day’s citizenship was already approved we could have a private ceremony to make it official for her. This was held in my office with my staff and Ms Day’s auntie in attendance. It was a special moment for her. I felt privileged to be involved with Ms Day’s and Mr Prescott’s citizenship ceremonies.

I often reflect on the meaning and importance of being an Australian and living in a country that allows us to celebrate our democratic values, equality and respect for each other. On the day, I particularly remind the applicants about the rights and privileges that we have in this country compared with some other countries and remind them to embrace our community spirit and values. I also remind them about the Anzacs, who were prepared to lay their lives on the line to make sure that we would be able to keep those privileges and rights.

Thursday, 17 September is Australian Citizenship Day. Across the nation more than 4,000 people will become Australian citizens on and around Australian Citizenship Day in more than 85 ceremonies. The date is significant because the Australian citizenship test was launched on 17 September 2007, although it commenced on 1 October 2007. The test was introduced to ensure that citizenship applicants had all the requisite knowledge to demonstrate the requirements of the Australian Citizenship Act. Broadly speaking, these requirements are being able to understand the nature of the application, having a basic knowledge of English and being able to demonstrate comprehension of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. Data recorded from 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2009 showed that over 11,000 applicants had sat the Australian citizenship test. Of those, 96.7 per cent passed on the first or second attempt. An applicant can sit the test as many times as they need to until they pass.

Failing the citizenship test does not affect your visa status at all. The test is computer based and consists of 20 multiple choice questions drawn randomly from a pool of confidential questions. To pass you must get a mark of 60 per cent or more, including answering three mandatory questions correctly. There was a lot of media hype surrounding the introduction of the test and the type of questions asked. I felt the majority of this hype was unwarranted. The questions all come from a book called Becoming an Australian Citizen, which is available to all applicants. Areas covered in the test include: the geography of Australia, the culture, and the national symbols and emblems; as well as understanding the parliamentary system. Let us not devalue the citizenship test by making it a political tool to win gold. Citizenship of this great country of ours is a privilege not a right.

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