17-September-2006
Speeches, Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Community
Address on
“Celebrating our citizenship”
followed by citizenship ceremony
Immigration Museum, Melbourne
17 September 2006
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Welcome everyone to this special occasion, at a special location, on a special day – Australian Citizenship Day.
I always find it exciting to be part of these citizenship ceremonies – there is something very special about welcoming new members to our Australian family, and I feel honoured to play a formal part.
Your decision to become an Australian Citizen links you with over 6 million other people from 208 countries who have come to Australia since planned migration began in 1947.
But of course people had been settling in Australia from all over the world since the First Fleet. Apart from our indigenous Australians, we are a migrant country.
For instance, my own story saw William and Susanna Robb arrive in Melbourne in 1853 from County Down, Ireland with dreams for a new life.
They had survived the potato famine which saw up to a million deaths, but then joined the subsequent mass emigration of up to 2 million Irish people.
Perhaps they chose Australia because gold had been discovered just two years before at Bathurst in New South Wales and soon after at Ballarat.
Did they strike gold in Australia? — well, nothing that anyone’s told me about.
But they left a lasting and more powerful legacy – many, many generations of Australians culminating in at least 85 Great Great Great Grandchildren, including my own children.
You all bring your own unique set of talents, you bring your own unique experiences and perspectives, and all the rest of us will be the richer for it.
Those migrants that have come before you have made a huge contribution to the quality of life we enjoy as Australians, and I’ve no doubt you will all make your mark, make your own special contribution.
Of course, a number of you already have very strong links to Australia and have made long and important contributions to our Australian community. Today is a formalisation of those links.
And, you are sending a message that it is never too late to become an Australian citizen.
For example, recently I presided over a Citizenship Ceremony for Mrs Ila Mavis Smith who celebrated her 100th birthday by becoming an Australian citizen. Mavis was joined at the ceremony by her 67 year old son, and both had made valuable contributions to Australia over 46 years.
Today we have Salvatore and Dora Formica and Paolo and Antonia Monterosso, a brother and sister married to a sister and brother, all originally from Italy, and married in Geelong in the 1960s.
I understand both couples called their first sons Enzo.
And both Enzos urged their parents to become Aussies.
This year the couples agreed they should all become Australian citizens together, and I welcome you today.
I’m sure you all bring a special story here today with you.
One of today’s candidates for Australian citizenship is Kimberley Anderson.
Kimberly is a teacher at St Bede’s College and she set her class a challenge to write an essay about what it is to be Australian.
And I understand that if the essays were persuasive enough, Kimberly said she would become an Australian citizen.
Well, it worked.
Kimberly is here today with members of her class, and I want to read typical excerpts from one of these essays.
Brendan Mason spoke of “the uniqueness, power, belief and culture that are found in every Australian”.
Also “our spirit, pride, hope, camaraderie and optimism”, and he finished by noting “Australia is the land of hope, where every Australian citizen is proud to call their land home”.
I might see if Brendan is available to do some speech writing for me.
Today — Australian Citizenship Day — is a time to think about how Australian citizenship, and the values it represents, helps unify Australia.
People who become Australian citizens are welcomed into one of the safest, most tolerant and peaceful societies in the world.
Australian citizenship has been one of the pillars on which the prosperity and cultural harmony we enjoy, has been based.
Citizenship is much more than a ceremony. It’s a way of life.
Launch of advertising campaign
…And this is the theme of the advertising campaign I am launching today.
It’s important to raise awareness of the value of citizenship, and encourage eligible people to become citizens.
This new campaign will seek to do just that.
The campaign reinforces the Government’s view that becoming a citizen demonstrates a commitment to Australia, and helps people integrate effectively into the community.
Let’s look at some of the TV ads.
[Television ads roll]
Launch of citizenship test discussion paper
Australian citizenship is more than just a ceremony – citizenship
lies at the heart of our national identity; it gives us a strong sense of who we are and our place in the world.
Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.
When people take the pledge it is important that they understand what they are signing up to – not only the rights and responsibilities, but also the way of life that comes with it.
As well, when recently arrived migrants arrive and seek citizenship, it is important that they develop the English skills which enable them to hold down a job and live more comfortably within our community.
In this way they make the most of the many opportunities that Australia offers. At the same time, if they have these skills and understanding, then Australia gets the most from the valuable talents and different perspectives that they bring.
In order to encourage new migrants to acquire these skills and this sense of what makes Australia tick, the Government is looking to introduce a formal citizenship test to ensure that people are ready and willing to participate fully, and integrate quickly and effectively, into our community.
Today I am pleased to release a discussion paper, which raises for public consideration the merits and appropriate content of a formal citizenship test.
Conclusion
This country of ours has many blessings, it has many wonderful things going for it. Like any other nation we have had our share of successes and triumphs, and our share of failures. But in the great sweep of history, Australia has been a remarkably successful society.
Much of this success is due to the great “freedoms” we enjoy as a people, and the sense of a “fair go” which is so very much a part of the Australian character.
But the great thing about Australia is that we are all free to choose how we live our own lives.
So, make the most of the opportunities available in Australia – and in the process protect the “freedoms” and the sense of a “fair go”.
Congratulations, and thank you for making the commitment you are making her today.
END