Next week I’ll be sitting my Australian citizenship test. As a firm believer in understanding through articulation, I’d like to share what exactly the ‘Australian Values’ consist of. I’ve had many conversations over the last couple of weeks with natives (Australians from birth) and most have been curious about what you need to know to be welcomed in as an official member of the Aussie family.
You only have to get 75% on the Citizenship Test which is made up of 20 multi choice questions. You do however have to get 100% of the values based questions correct if you want to call Australia home. You can do a practice test here which I’m happy to report I got 100% on this morning.
The Australian values are based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity. The first and obviously most important is the Commitment to the Rule of Law. If you live in Australia you must obey the Australian laws - no one is above the law and you have to follow them even if nobody is watching. I love this addition in case you were thinking about privately breaking the law or doing it in your own time. You can’t.
The laws in this country are determined by parliaments elected by the people because our government is a Parliamentary Democracy. It is compulsory to vote and by doing so, our citizens decide how the country is governed. As a side-quest here as I’ve been closely following along with @PurplePingers AKA Jordan van den Lamb as he runs for senate under the Victorian Socialist party. As a long time member of the renting class and big advocate for renter rights I feel like I’ve been waiting for Pingers all my life! He released his housing policy and it nearly brought a tear to my eye. Australia needs big change, it's not the wealthy few at the top that are going to make it. I hope with all my might that I manage to become a citizen in time to vote in the upcoming federal election.
As an Australian citizen you have the Freedom of Speech. You should be able to express your ideas freely (so long as it's within the law). You are free to say and write what you think about any topic and to discuss these ideas with others. This leads nicely to Freedom of Association which gives you the right to join or leave any group voluntarily (as long as it’s within the law) such as a political party, trade union, religious, cultural or social group.
Freedom of Religion is helpful if you’re that way inclined but Australia has no official national religion. The government treats all citizens equally whatever their religious belief as long as they follow the law of course. Religious intolerance is not acceptable in Australian society; they are quite explicit about that.
Equality of all people under the law means that everyone is treated equally regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, race, or national or ethnic origin. Men and women have equal rights and should be provided with equal opportunities. We can all marry each other as long as it's only between two people tops.
Equality of opportunity and a ‘fair go’ is relative when you’re in the middle of a liquidation but ultimately is about achievement being a result of hard work and talents not because of gender, wealth or ethnicity. No one should be limited by any kind of class distinction. Therefore Mutual respect and tolerance for others should be a given. We should all be listening to others and respecting their views and opinions, even when they’re different from our own. It’s against the law to be violent towards another person in this country.
Racism has no place in Australia; they’re quite explicit about that too.
Australians expect everyone living in Australia to participate in our society and make a contribution to our community. Australians value ‘mateship’ and have compassion for those in need. We have a strong tradition of community service and volunteering (at least 25% of Aussies do) so all new immigrants are advised to get involved in the community.
English is that national language so try and use it while you’re helping to keep our society safe. If you suspect a friend or neighbour is about to commit a serious crime, you should report it too to the authorities ASAP. Obviously the unspoken rules around being a ‘dibber dobber’ didn’t make it into the official guidelines.
At the end of the day, you have to pledge your Loyalty to Australia. You must follow all the laws, all the time (even when no one's watching). Don’t share official government secrets that would undermine Australia’s interests, ever. But despite all that, Welcome! Welcome to Australia! You’ll become part of our nation’s story and will contribute to our future.
I’m becoming a citizen for a number of reasons but being able to vote for Pingers and support someone who actually lives the Australian Values and wants to improve living standards is important to me. The ‘fair-go’ and equality that we expect new citizens to adhere to has been diluted by privatisation and capitalism over the last 40 odd years. It will take some radical change. The Victorian Socialist party housing policy is brutal and I love it.
It’s tough but fair and honestly it’s necessary if we ever want our kids to have secure housing in the future. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!
