A Dreamtime Idea That Can Be Taken To The Bank

The ministers Mal Brough and Tony Abbott have clarified any doubts we may have had about the value the Howard Government places on Aboriginal people ("Blacks, be patient: Abbott", May 25). Both ministers said there would be no apology and were no doubt embarrassed by Professor Lowitja O'Donoghue's comparison of the Government's budget for Aboriginal health of about $135 million over four years with the $123 million cost of the "very silly" new citizenship test. With the 40th anniversary of the ...

Rush For Citizenship To Beat Tougher Test

PLANS for a tougher citizenship test have prompted a surge in applications from people trying to beat its introduction, likely to be in September.

40 Years On, Still Tied To The Past

FORTY years after the vote which granted Aborigines full citizenship, the condition of the indigenous population is still a scandal. As the Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson has asked, if David Hicks can garner enough support among progressives to secure his release from Guantanamo Bay, why the silence about a continuing stain on Australia's reputation? Why do Aboriginal affairs attract so little useful attention, and every effort peters out in failure and indifference?

Criticisms In Immigration Audit

THE Department of Immigration and Citizenship has been criticised for record-keeping deficiencies and inconsistent management reporting in a government audit report.

Would-be Citizens To Face A New Test

THE Commonwealth has pledged $123.6 million to delivering a new citizenship test to be introduced this year.