17 September (today) is Australian Citizenship Day. The Minister for Immigration has announced that new Australians will need to correctly answer questions about domestic violence, equal opportunity and freedom of speech under changes to the citizenship test. The changes to the citizenship test will include a religious values question.
The Australian citizen test has been revamped, with questions added on Australian ‘values’
New Australians will need to correctly answer questions about domestic violence, equal opportunity and freedom of speech under changes to the citizenship test, the federal government will announce.
The 20-question multiple-choice test, which requires a 75 per cent overall mark to pass, will from November include five questions about Australian values – all of which must be answered correctly.
Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge is due to introduce the changes on Thursday to coincide with Australian Citizenship Day, as more than 100 citizenship ceremonies will take place across the country.
“Our Australian values are important. They have helped shape our country and they are the reason why so many people want to become Australian citizens,” Mr Tudge told News Corp publications.
“The updated citizenship test will have new and more meaningful questions that require potential citizens to understand and commit to our values like freedom of speech, mutual respect, equality of opportunity, the importance of democracy and the rule of law.”
The new values-based queries will include questions such as should people in Australia make an effort to learn English, are people free to choose who they marry or not marry, do religious laws override Australian law and is it acceptable for a husband to be violent towards his wife if she has disobeyed or disrespected him.
Australian Citizenship Day
We celebrate Australian Citizenship Day each year on 17 September.
The day is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect:
- on the meaning and importance of Australian citizenship
- responsibilities and privileges we have as citizens
Whether we are citizens through birth or by active choice, it is a chance for all Australians:
- to take pride in our citizenship
- celebrate our democratic values
- think about what unites us as Australians
Every year on this day, Australia welcomes thousands of new citizens to our team as part of Australian Citizenship Day.
History of Australian Citizenship Day
The Australian Government established the day in 2001 in response to a recommendation by the Australian Citizenship Council in their 2000 report Australian Citizenship for a New Century.
The recommendation came from a proposal of the 1999 National Schools Constitutional Convention that a citizenship day be established to allow all Australians to celebrate their Australian citizenship.
17 September was chosen as Australian Citizenship Day as it is the anniversary of the renaming, in 1973, of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 to the Australian Citizenship Act 1948.
Australian Citizenship Day was first celebrated in 2001.
