Below is an extract from the prime preanster’s press conference today, where he & Andrew Robb confirmed the government’s intention to introduce a “Citizenship Test”.

The irony of this announcement sharing the “subject” line with New South Wales lotteries says it all ….. 

11 December 2006

TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER

THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH MR ANDREW ROBB

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND

MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

PHILLIP STREET, SYDNEY

Subjects: Australian citizenship test; New South Wales lotteries. 

JOURNALIST:

Prime Minister, what are Australian values?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well Australian values will be I guess debated by many people, but I think we all agree that democracy, we all agree that a belief in a free media, the equality of men and women, the concept of mateship, the concept of having a go and the concept of looking after the very vulnerable in our community.  I think they are common Australian values on which most of us can agree.

hmmmnnn ……

Looks like the prime preanster has become the 1st victim of his own initiative, given his confused explanation of “Australian Values” …..

According to the government’s Citizenship Testing Discussion Paper, “common” Australian values are:

-          respect for the freedom & dignity of the individual;

-          support for democracy;

-          commitment to the rule of law;

-          the equality of men & women;

-          the spirit of the fair go;

-          mutual respect; &

-          compassion for those in need.

Whilst “free media” didn’t rate a mention in the government’s Discussion Paper, no-one would doubt that James Packer & Rupert Murdoch, along with the other members of Australia’s media oligarchy, would subscribe to that value, given the government’s recent amendments to the cross-media ownership laws.

The little fella’s “concept of mateship” value also failed to rate a mention in the Discussion Paper & we can only wonder if his “have a go” value might be a related Freudian slip, given that it should have been “a fair go”.

And whilst more than 3 million Australians currently live below the poverty line, Australia’s highest taxing prime meanster mentioned “looking after the very vulnerable in our community”. It would seem that the Discussion Paper is closer to the mark on this value, given that it talks only about showing “compassion for those in need” – certainly a far cheaper option & totally consistent with the government’s record.

Doubtless David Hicks will be excited to learn that the value of “respect for the freedom & dignity of the individual” has made it onto the list, although he’ll doubtless remain bemused by the inclusion of “commitment to the rule of law”.

Other values, such as honesty, truth, integrity, responsibility, accountability, transparency, justice & tolerance don’t rate a mention.

And whilst most of the values listed in the government’s Discussion Paper are not peculiarly Australian, but universal aspirations, it is ironic that a number of other universal values - as reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Australia is a signatory – such as “the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just & favourable conditions of work & to protection against unemployment” are not considered Australian values by the Howard government.

Of course, the most misleading aspect of the Discussion Paper is that it fails to point out that the proposed Australian values will not apply to politicians.