KEY POINTS:
Mateship now has an official federal Government definition.
Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews yesterday released a draft resource booklet containing information to be tested in a new examination for aspiring Australian citizens.
Under a draft law before Parliament, people applying for Australian citizenship would have to pass an exam on Australian citizenship, values, history, Government and culture.
The exam would comprise 20 questions drawn from a pool of 200 possible ones based on information in the Becoming an Australian Citizen booklet.
Applicants would have to get at least 12 out 20 questions right in order to pass, but could re-sit the test an unlimited number of times until they passed.
The draft booklet says "tolerance, mutual respect and compassion for those in need" are important Australian values and then goes on to give an explanation of the expression "mateship".
"Australia has a strong tradition of mateship where people help and receive help from others voluntarily, especially in times of adversity," the booklet said. "A mate can be a spouse, partner, brother, sister, daughter, son or a friend. A mate can also be a total stranger."
Other important Australian values the booklet listed were: Respect for the equal worth; dignity and freedom of the individual; freedom of speech; freedom of religion and secular government; freedom of association; support for parliamentary democracy and the rule of law; equality under the law; equality of men and women; equality of opportunity; and peacefulness.
The booklet included information on Australia's economy, love of sport and contained the frank admission that: "The success of Australia was built on lands taken from Aboriginal people after European settlement in 1788".
Andrews said the test was an important part of the Government's decision to place a greater emphasis on integrating new citizens into the community. "One of great achievements of Australia has been to balance two things, firstly the diversity of people who have come from more than 200 countries around the world and, secondly, the sense of integrating into one socially cohesive society," he said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said there did not appear to be anything unreasonable about the draft booklet.
"Our attitude has been that there's not a problem with the test so long as the questions are reasonable," Burke said.
-AAP
