Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would the minister inform the House about the new citizenship test? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for his question. It is always a delight to visit the member for Dobell in his electorate. He is one of the hardworking members on this side and a very good member of parliament. I note in passing, of course, that his opponent, once again, as we expect from the Labor Party each time now, is yet another union hack. These people want to turn the House of Representatives into the Trades Hall Council.

Today I had the pleasure of launching the new Australian citizenship test. It was appropriate to do today because this is Australian Citizenship Day. Most Australians, I believe, would agree with the proposition that Australian citizenship is a privilege, not a right, that citizenship of this country requires an overriding commitment to Australia, to our values, to our laws and to our community. It is important therefore that people who wish to become Australian citizens understand and demonstrate a commitment to the values that guide us and how our society works.

These values, which are in the new Australian citizenship resource material, are, I believe, common and unite Australians—values such as respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, support for Western liberal democracy, and commitment to the rule of law, parliamentary democracy and equality of men and women, among other things. The Australian government has also decided that applicants for permanent visas and provisional visas which lead to permanent visas will be expected in future to sign a statement that they will respect certain values, including the ones I have outlined, and obey Australian laws before being granted a visa.

The honourable member for Dobell asked me whether there are any alternative policies. When the citizenship test was announced, the Leader of the Opposition ducked that issue and said on 13 December 2006:

... on Mr Howard’s precise list of values, we’ll spend some time working our way through those and also his list of rights and responsibilities, I want to subject those to some careful examination as well.

Here we are nine months later and we are yet to hear what the Leader of the Opposition values in this regard. No doubt if he gets asked a question about it today he will say, ‘I’ll set up a committee to tell me what they should be.’ We know that, while the Leader of the Opposition ducked the question, some people in the Labor Party were setting out what the Labor Party really thinks. I see that the member for Banks said in parliament on 21 May:

This test that is being introduced by this government is a disgrace.

Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely!

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely a disgrace! Good to hear it again from the member for Banks. He believes in something, unlike the Leader of the Opposition. He went on to say on 21 May:

The test is the first thing that should be repealed when there is a change of government; it should not decide who becomes an Australian citizen.

Here we have the real voice of the Labor Party—the member for Banks who actually believes in something and has the guts to come out and say what he believes in, rather than the Leader of the Opposition, who is simply dodging the question once again. What we have here is one more example of the distinct pattern which is emerging so far as the opposition is concerned. Once again we see Mr Rudd, the Leader of the Opposition, say one thing, or in this case not say anything, while his colleagues give voice to the real views of the Labor Party. The Leader of the Opposition dodges issues. He has dodged the issue. If he does not dodge issues, he says, ‘We’ll set up a committee,’ or, ‘We’ll set up a review.’ The Australian people deserver better.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration, Integration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I ask the minister to table a copy of the test he just referred to. We have not seen it yet.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member knows that the test is confidential. He fully well knows that.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister has the call. The question to the minister is whether he was quoting from a confidential document.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was quoting from a confidential document but, on a point of order, the honourable member fully well knows that the values are set out in the resource booklet, which is available.