Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Well, look at how strongly your colleagues are supporting this motion! Just look around. There will be more to come in shortly! All you've got to do is look at what your own colleagues have said, your own leadership team: 'Why is it that no-one is asked on these forms to commit to respecting Australian values and abiding by Australian laws?' Who said that? Who do you reckon said that? Let's go on: 'In terms of a declaration to respect our laws and way of life, anyone who has a problem signing that shouldn't be allowed here,' and, 'In response to then Prime Minister Howard's focus on the importance of English, his focus on the need for people living in Australia to try to learn English was spot-on.' Were those three quotes from one of the members of the government? No, they were taken word for word from comments made by the member for Watson. His confected outrage is just unbelievable. As has already been quoted, the opposition leader said, 'I think it is reasonable to look for English-language proficiency and I think it is reasonable to have some period of time before you become an Australian citizen.'

I can tell those opposite that people in my electorate of Fisher are cheering these provisions—certainly not everybody, but they are very, very happy that we are putting in stronger provisions. The two greatest lotteries in life are the family to which you are born and the country in which you are born. We are so very fortunate in this country. Many of us were born here, and those who weren't been born here have ended up here, and good luck to them. Those are the two greatest lotteries in life. With Australian citizenship comes so many rights—for example, the right to Medicare—which you lot lied about at the last election, absolutely disgraceful lies—and of course, the right to vote to decide who your next government will be. None of these things should be taken for granted. In other countries around the world, they don't happen. So there are many, many advantages—the ability to serve on juries; that's always a good one. But there's absolutely no doubt that citizenship is undervalued in this country. There's absolutely no doubt. The report that Philip Ruddock and Conchetta Fierravanti-Wells put together showed that citizenship is undervalued. It is well past time that these laws were tightened up. (Time expired)

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