Fair Dinkum Test Planned

[Elias]

New arrivals "fair dinkum" about becoming citizens will have no trouble passing a new test requiring a reasonable knowledge of English and Australian history, Prime Minister John Howard says.
Under tough new measures proposed by the government, would-be citizens also would have to have a greater knowledge of Australian customs and values, Mr Howard said.
Details of the plan are expected to be unveiled on Sunday, but today Mr Howard confirmed there would be a strong language component and a history test that some Australian-born citizens might struggle to pass.


http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ethnic-groups-condemn-language-tests/2006/09/15/1157827132026.html

I am curious why you would apply a history test to new citizens of Australia that home grown aussies would have problems passing?

Sounds like the business migration scheme - sorting the wheat from the chaff.

However I think this may be a sensible approach in selecting future citizens given English is the lingua franca of this land

[ditch]

Then if us locals have trouble passing the history test, maybe we should all sharpen up our knowledge of Oz and start taking some more pride in our history and culture. It's about time more of the immigrants did too. They do wanrt to live here don't they.

[Sierra Mike]

We have the same requirements in the US for those seeking American citizenship. It's not something you get for free--you have to at least present a modicum of interest in the nation.

SM