January 18, 2017
Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud has expressed his support for a tougher Australian citizenship test.
Mr Littleproud said he welcomed Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s recent call for a tougher test that would strengthen character requirements for any potential new Australian.
The call follows concerns Australia’s short-term visa pathways are being exploited by terrorists.
Mr Littleproud said while most new Australians integrate well and uphold Australian values, sophisticated terrorist activity risks undermining the current citizenship test, which only requires applicants to correctly answer 15 of 20 questions about Australia’s history and culture.
“I think Minister Dutton makes a lot of sense,” Mr Littleproud said.
“In this day and age, relying on outdated questions seems trivial against the questions we should genuinely hold of a potential Australian’s character and their values.
“It is absolutely crucial that a new Australian citizen is able to integrate into and contribute to our nation.
“And it is just as important that Australians have confidence in the process that determines whether someone is a suitable candidate for such an important privilege.”
Minister Dutton has proposed a new test be designed to better gauge an applicant’s willingness to learn English, to provide a proper education for their children, and how likely the applicant is to rely on government welfare.
“At the end of the day while we have secure borders that are the envy of most European countries, this is really about making sure Australians continue to feel safe,” Mr Littleproud said.
“I am strongly supportive of any move by our government to make the revamping of our citizenship rules a priority when we head back to Canberra next month.”
