Australian Values

Happy · 15 September 2006

From ABC , September 15, 2006
Greeks 'a wonderful example' of integration
The Prime Minister has praised the country's Greek community as an example of how to integrate into Australian society.
The Government has announced plans to impose an English test on migrants seeking Australian citizenship.
It also intends extend the length of time they are required to wait before applying for citizenship from three to four years.
John Howard, who has addressed the Hellenic club in Canberra, says the Greek community has demonstrated how to embrace Australian culture.
"The Greeks are just a wonderful example of how you do it, you integrate fully, you become part of the mainstream," he said.
"Your first loyalty is to Australia, but that doesn't mean that you don't have a place in your heart for your home culture, and that's how we want it."

Scope questions
The Labor Party and the Refugee Council say the proposal is unfair but some multicultural groups have expressed support.
The Australian Multicultural Foundation says the organisation supports the changes in principle.
But the foundation's Hass Dellal says it is important the rules apply across the board, not just to those from a non-English speaking background.
"It should apply whether they're from the Ireland, whether they're from Sri Lanka, whether they're from the Middle East or whether they're from Canada," he said.
The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland says it is reasonable for the Government to expect migrants to learn English.
The council's Queensland chairman, Serge Voloschenko, says the English language binds Australians together.
"It's fair to have knowledge of English because English as language is our social and economic glue," he said.
"It is important for us to succeed in this society, this community of Australia, to be able to communicate in as good English as we can."

We have some good news with migrants in Australia; not everybody is bent on changing Australia to suit their brought values.

Happy · 15 September 2006

rederob said:
I know many older "Australians" that migrated here a very long time ago who would not be able to pass Howards new "test". Perhaps we should send them back, along with anyone else that fails English, although my mum would probably be arrested if that happened!

We are moving with times and do not use last century experiences as an anchor preventing us to move forward.

rederob · 15 September 2006

Happy said:
We are moving with times and do not use last century experiences as an anchor preventing us to move forward.

Happy
I can only assume you have very little to do with migrants, and probably nothing at all to do with refugees.
A significant proportion of refugees have no formal education at all, and are functionally illiterate in English.
Our wonderful government has cut back on funding English language training.
But wait for it: If one did get a Cert III or IV in English and then found a traineeship position, say in a meat works, their employer would not attract Commonwealth training incentives because the person will already hold a recent qualification!

IGO4IT · 15 September 2006

Hi guys,

can anyone pls tell me what's the difference between the so called "austrailan values" & any other country's values anywhere else in the world?

are we saying that we're the only decent people on earth & those "animals" who dare to come to australia must know how to be "decent"

I find it all amazing!

I travelled to half the countries listed on the world map, NONE in which I knew what their values were before i've been there.......if I was given a piece of paper to sign on being a decent human being...I don't think I wouldn't have minded but to know the culture of each country before I go?????.......why???? that's what I'm there for....to get shocked of different cultures & know about these countries while I'm there

sorry guys, I think politicians are really running out of ideas! they should stick to apologising to abrogonies...they're the "real" owners of the land & may be all of us should know their culture first

cheers,

cuttlefish · 15 September 2006

yep I reckon I agree with you IGO - well said .

rederob · 15 September 2006

cuttlefish said:
yep I reckon I agree with you IGO - well said .

Make me another in total agreement with IGO4it

It's Snake Pliskin · 15 September 2006

sorry guys, I think politicians are really running out of ideas! they should stick to apologising to abrogonies...they're the "real" owners of the land & may be all of us should know their culture first

So which tribe does it belong too? Go back further if you want this argument to have any credibility.Crocodiles should own Nth Australia; it can keep going back to the Dinosaurs who have a real grievance.

Smurf1976 · 15 September 2006

One problem is how do you define "Australian Values"?

Sport, drinking beer, watching footy etc are lifestyle activites which some Australians are involved in. They are cultural aspects of Australian life but they aren't exactly values.

Lifestyle is more different than many realise too. Not all Australians watch football. Those that do would be truly amazed at just how busy many other forms of recreation are when the AFL grand final is on. There are plenty who simply don't care about it.

Not all Australians drink beer or eat meat pies. Nor do they all spear fish at night using a floodlight. Nor do they all live within sight of a multi story building, let alone work in one. Many never travel off bitumen roads and others never travel on them.

There are 20 year olds whose lifestyle revolves around import cars or nightclubs. There are plenty of other 20 year olds who have never driven anything but a commercial ute (as opposed to a sports ute) or 4WD and wouldn't know what was going on if someone placed a stamp on their wrist. For that matter, there would be quite a few Australians who have never caught a fish and others who have never been to Sydney.

This is a diverse country. Defining the lifestyle is hard enough. As for values, where to start...

Julia · 15 September 2006

Smurf and IGO:

You are both making fairly similar comments and I completely agree with both of you.

It strikes me as not just silly to be talking about making people sign some sort of statement of Australian values, but also nothing less than arrogant in suggesting that our better qualities are the prerogative of Australians, rather than basic human decency.

I notice neither Mr Beazley nor Mr Howard seems to find it necessary to include some of the negative characteristics of the national character.

Julia

rederob · 15 September 2006

Snake Pliskin said:
So which tribe does it belong too? Go back further if you want this argument to have any credibility.Crocodiles should own Nth Australia; it can keep going back to the Dinosaurs who have a real grievance.

Snake
This thread is about "Australian values".
How about your views on this topic?

IGO4IT · 16 September 2006

Julia said:
Smurf and IGO:

You are both making fairly similar comments and I completely agree with both of you.

It strikes me as not just silly to be talking about making people sign some sort of statement of Australian values, but also nothing less than arrogant in suggesting that our better qualities are the prerogative of Australians, rather than basic human decency.

I notice neither Mr Beazley nor Mr Howard seems to find it necessary to include some of the negative characteristics of the national character.

Julia

Julia,

I think the topic of "australianism" is getting more popular everyday within the current world events & defentily I see a lot of faults that were a result of a careless migration policies which were invented in ages which were different from today.

I think the idea of having basic english skills for new migrants is a good try, but going on about our culture which is basicly a mix of all cultures together is really funny for politics to try to define.

Mateship is everywhere in the world & i'm positive that its a lot stronger in some other countries than australia (that's at least imo), we also have the faults described by many on this thread in our culture that I"m sure won't be mentioned.

both labour & liberals are a waste of time & trying to get more votes by trying to highlight the issue of which of them is "more australian", as for constructive discussion or real debate.........I see nothing with value!

What made us what we are today is a collection of all the facts of what we had & have now & big massive part of it is the imported human working force that came in the 1920s onwards which mostly didn't even speak english for good 10 years in the begining!

As for the terrorist.....I'm pretty positive they can swear, drink & speak english if they want to as well .... so really, this is all just propaganda to highlight that hey, .....politicians are not just a high paid boofs....actually could have some ideas

Bloveld · 16 September 2006

IGO4IT said:
Hi guys,

can anyone pls tell me what's the difference between the so called "austrailan values" & any other country's values anywhere else in the world?

are we saying that we're the only decent people on earth & those "animals" who dare to come to australia must know how to be "decent"

I find it all amazing!

I travelled to half the countries listed on the world map, NONE in which I knew what their values were before i've been there.......if I was given a piece of paper to sign on being a decent human being...I don't think I wouldn't have minded but to know the culture of each country before I go?????.......why???? that's what I'm there for....to get shocked of different cultures & know about these countries while I'm there

sorry guys, I think politicians are really running out of ideas! they should stick to apologising to abrogonies...they're the "real" owners of the land & may be all of us should know their culture first

cheers,

Well the aboriginals are the last people who should be asked about Australian values.
I mean they were here for something like 50 000 years, and they only became Australian citizens about 40 years ago.

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