Transcript of interview with Radio 6PR
Tuesday, 30 January 2008
The following comments were made by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans following an incorrect newspaper report that suggested the Government would consider allowing migrants to sit the citizenship test in their own language.
‘There are no plans to allow the citizenship test to be sat in a foreign language.
‘The previous Howard Government allowed the translation of the booklet into foreign languages to help people prepare for the test and I think that is appropriate.
‘But there are no plans to allow people to sit the test in foreign languages.
‘We want people to develop English skills. The question is whether or not they have the literacy and whether there are barriers to people taking the test.
‘The review we are going to conduct will look at those barriers and try to assist people because we want people to become citizens.
‘So the test is a positive thing but clearly we want people to still follow it through and become citizens. It is a question of how you get the balance right.’
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au
/media/media-releases/2008/ce08010.htm
Last update: 13 August 2008 at 17:14 AEST