Australia’s citizenship test is getting its first update in more than a decade, with a renewed focus on Australian values.
Acting immigration minister Alan Tudge says those prospective citizens must answer five multiple choice questions correctly to pass.
"The key change which we're announcing today is that we'll be placing much greater emphasis on Australian values in the citizenship test and away from just core facts and figures.
Now what I mean by that, is it'll be questions in relation to our parliamentary democracy - freedom of speech, equality of men and women, rather than questions on Don Bradman or Phar Lap as such."
Highlights:
- Future Australians have to take a revamped test - the old one focused very much on Australian history and democracy
- There will be no changes to the English language or residency requirements for citizenship.
- The new test comes into operation from mid-November.
Examples of questions in the new values section include:
- Are people free to choose who they marry?
- In Australia, do religious laws override Australian law?
- And should men and women be provided equal opportunity?
Mr. Tudge says citizens will be able to download an updated guide, 'Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond', which provides the background to Australian citizenship which he says they should study deeply.
Last month, though, the government scrapped hours caps on taxpayer-funded English classes to allow people to achieve a functional level.
Migrants who can’t speak English will be allowed to attend an uncapped number of free language classes in an overhaul of the Adult Migrant English Program ((AMEP)), which currently offers 510 hours of free tuition to be completed within five years.
Under the changes, the government has announced it will not only scrap the cap on the hours but also remove time limits on the classes.
Mohammad Al-Khafaji, Chief Executive of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, says they welcome the changes but says they still have a way to go.
He says there are about 150,000 applications that have been lodged and the average wait time is just over two years.
He says that's unacceptable and the timeline needs to be reduced so as to give future Australians some certainty.
