California Conservative

More good advice from our friends “Down Under.”

The Australian reports: “Australians should have a proper command of English before they can become citizens, a government backbencher has said.”

We second the motion — in America, too.

“The call by finance parliamentary secretary Sharman Stone comes as the government moves away from plans to strip citizenship from people breaking counter-terror laws.

Dr Stone is calling for a re-examination of how people applying for citizenship are tested and the eligibility requirements to become a citizen.

As an MP, she said she had often witnessed new citizens being coached so they could recite the pledge of allegiance in adequate English.”

In America, that’s the role of the DNC, running voter registration tables outside of every new citizen swearing-in event. Besides, if some people get their way, we won’t be saying the pledge at all.

“The candidate has little capacity to speak or understand English and there has been no testing of their understanding of the rights and liberties or laws of the country which they have just pledged to respect, uphold and obey,” Dr Stone said in a statement.

Uphold and obey. Indeed.

She wants a review of current regulations under which new citizens over 50 don’t have to have basic English.

“I don’t believe these exemptions or the failure to test anyone comprehensively serves either the new Australian citizen or the Australian society well,” she said.

“Having to be competent in the nation’s key language is a prerequisite for citizenship in most countries.”

Guess she’s never been to East L.A.

Not even in Ohio.

RELATED:
Reuniting The United States:
A Few Words Of Advice from Australia

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 15th, 2005 at 4:58 pm and is filed under Culture, Immigration, Patriotism, Washington, DC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.