Australian Citizenship – what does it mean?

Australian Citizenship – what does it mean?

The Preamble to the Australian Citizenship Act of 1948 states “Australian citizenship represents formal membership of the community of the Commonwealth of Australia; and Australian citizenship is a common bond, involving reciprocal rights and obligations, uniting all Australians, while respecting their diversity; and Persons granted Australian citizenship enjoy these rights and undertake these obligations by pledging loyalty to Australia and its people, and by sharing their democratic beliefs, and by respecting their rights and liberties, and by upholding and obeying the laws of Australia".

Should Australia introduce a formal citizenship test such as that of Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America and the Netherlands? How important is a demonstrated commitment to Australia’s way of life and values for those intending to settle permanently or temporarily in Australia? These are some of the questions behind the release of a Citizenship discussion paper by the Australian Government.

To the one million Australians living outside of the country being an Australian citizen can have a very different meaning and evoke a range of different reactions based on different experiences. The public policy approach Australia adopts needs to take all views into consideration. Click here to view the discussion paper Australian Citizenship: Much more than a ceremony.