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| Down Under |
| Australian leaders divided over citizenship comments |
| 2006-02-24 |
| Some state leaders are divided over Treasurer Peter Costello's claims that people should be stripped or refused their citizenship if they do not embrace Australian values. New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma says he agrees with Mr Costello and has suggested taking the action even further by applying it to people on temporary or long-term visas. Treasurer Peter Costello has been accused of being deliberately divisive, and preparing for a return to racist immigration policies after comments made in a speech last night. Islamic groups say it is an appeal to conservative voters but Mr Iemma says it is completely reasonable. "No matter what your religion or the colour of your skin, this is a warm and generous and welcoming country - leave the extremism and leave the fights behind," he said. Victorian Premier Steve Bracks says Mr Costello is playing politics. Mr Bracks says Mr Costello is trying to divert people's attention from the Government's role in the AWB scandal. "The reality is that people coming into our country come in accepting our values," he said. "It's self evident, they come in accepting democracy, accepting of course the rule of law more broadly, accepting freedoms that we have here. "That's what they accept when they come in and they sign on to that, of course they do, so Peter Costello's intervention is really about diversion from the Federal Government." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says Mr Costello's comments were a cheap shot for populist approval "If Peter Costello is trying to appeal back to the 1950s to become the Prime Minister, I think that's a retrograde step," Mr Beattie said. "I just think sometimes leaders have got to stand up - and I know what I'm saying will not be popular in some places - but someone's got to have the guts to say to Peter Costello, if you want to be prime minister, find the things that bring us together, not the things that divide us." But NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam says he also endorses Mr Costello's comments. "One of the things I think we need to get rid of is the political correctness and Peter was certainly putting his foot on that last night," Mr Debnam said. |
| Posted by:Slerert Glaick3179 |
| #8 "The reality is that people coming into our country come in accepting our values," he said. "It's self evident, they come in accepting democracy, accepting of course the rule of law more broadly, accepting freedoms that we have here. "That's what they accept when they come in and they sign on to that, of course they do Oh no they don’t. They come because they heard about the welfare and the incredible health, education and infrastructure benefits. Many are blissfully unaware of our values and our laws (speaking from the Canadian experience, very similar to other dem countries) and couldn’t give a bigger hoot about them. It’s why it costs a bleeding fortune to provide the services and support for attempting to “assimilate” muslim immigrants. They insist their religious laws are more important than “assimilating”, they are only here for the services which must be provided to all. They will not socialize (and will barely speak to) anyone outside their own sect. The kids are not allowed to play with or communicate with the infidels. Their youth are not allowed to work with the opposite sex or with alcohol or pork or…. which leaves them with precious little employment opportunities. And on and on. They DON’T accept anything of law or democracy or freedom. They are biding their time, just like they did till run out of their own far-flung village, until their particular sect rises again to power. All they need in this country – they all believe and profess – is enough kids. “Self-evident”, what is this guy been smoking? |
| Posted by: Hupomoger Clans9827 2006-02-24 20:00 |
| #7 Reminds me a (French) TV movie: a Jewish woman survives WWII and gets French nationality through a decree of De Gaulle. She is advised to go collect the document and there a low-grade employee makes her sign a receipt and gives her the document. -Woman: That is all? -Employee: Yes. That is all. -Woman: What? No ceremony, no oath of allegiance like in the United States? -Employee in an arrogant tone: Here we are in France! (Remember that teh scene is supposed to happen in 1945 ie when this guy should have shown some modesty). Ever thought that our lack of an oath of allegiance was a bad idea, that it converted what should be the joining of a citizen to a nation into just teh product of a bureaucracy. |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-02-24 09:46 |
| #6 Reminds me a (French) TV movie: a Jewish woman survives WWII and gets French nationality through a decree of De Gaulle. She is advised to go collect the document and there a low-grade employee makes her sign a receipt and gives her the document. -Woman: That is all? -Employee: Yes. That is all. -Woman: What? No ceremony, no oath of allegiance like in the United States? -Employee in an arrogant tone: Here we are in France! (Remember that teh scene is supposed to happen in 1945 ie when this guy should have shown some modesty). Ever thought that our lack of an oath of allegiance was a bad idea, that it converted what should be the joining of a citizen to a nation into just teh product of a bureaucracy. |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-02-24 08:39 |
| #5 That oath is a joke as long as we allow sual citizenship. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-02-24 08:28 |
| #4 Here is the US Citizenship oath. Appears a few here have violated it. Good luck in Oz. The oath of allegiance is: "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God." In some cases, INS allows the oath to be taken without the clauses: ". . .that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by law. . ." |
| Posted by: Juluka 2006-02-24 08:09 |
| #3 "The reality is that people coming into our country come in accepting our values," he said. Like the fine fellows who gang-raped a girl and said they were justified in doing it because she was dressed like a whore, which is to say she was covered head-to-toe with muslin. Or the imam who declared that gays should be killed. Or the one who told kids not to eat bananas because the Jews were poisoning them. Yep, every immigrant to Australia embraces Australian values. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-02-24 08:04 |
| #2 And the Australian public's reaction, Phil? |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2006-02-24 07:59 |
| #1 This is issue is a disaster for the Australian Labour Party. Watched the deputy leader of the ALP blather and squirm on this issue this morning and was then forced to say he completely agreed with Costello. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-02-24 05:48 |