"It is my intention to lead a government that is focused each and every day of meeting the needs of working families around the country," Ms Gillard said.

She said she was “full of understanding’’ for voters who wanted tougher border protection to keep out asylum seekers.

And she acknowledged the Government led by Kevin Rudd “at times went off the tracks’’ and promised to get it back on course. She accepted her “fair share’’ of blame.

“I came to the view that a good Government was losing its way,’’ she said. She feared a Coalition election victory would see funding cut for health and education, and a return to WorkChoices.

Ms Gillard said she would re-prosecute the case for a levy on carbon, a pledged to revive the campaign for action on climate change.

She said she would call an election in the “coming months’’.

Every  thing you need to know to help you pass the citizenship test is contained in the free test resource book Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond.All test questions are based on the information in the testable section of the book, which covers topics such as Australia's democratic beliefs, laws and government, as well as the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. The testable section of the book also contains 20 practice questions.

         The non-testable section of the book contains interesting and useful information about Australia including Australian history, culture, sport and notable Australians.

It is highly recommended that you study the book prior to sitting the test.

 The department does not endorse or recommend any package that claims it will assist you to pass the citizenship test.

Our Common Bond: A Course in Australian Citizenship is based around the Australian Citizenship Pledge. It will cover information contained in the testable section of the resource book, including topics such as:

• Australia and its people
• Australia’s democratic beliefs
• the responsibilities and privileges of Australia
• government and the law in Australia.

The course will comprise 20 hours of classroom-based tuition over seven sessions, of which sessions two to six are assessable.

The course will be in English only, and will not provide a pathway to citizenship if you do not speak English. However, it will be primarily orally and aurally based, incorporating a number of audio-visual support resources to assist you in understanding important citizenship concepts.

As with the computer-based test, the new course will assess whether you meet the following legal requirements for citizenship:

• a basic knowledge of the English language
• an adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship, and
• an understanding of the nature of your application for citizenship.

In order to successfully complete the course, you will be required to:

• attend all sessions unless you can provide a medical certificate
• participate in basic English in all classroom activities and discussions, and
• complete all assessment tasks and achieve at least 75% in each task.

  Recently the government has announced that it will introduce a Australian Citizenship test for the potential Australian citizens. The test will be in English and consist of 20 questions about Australian history, politics, sports, plants, and animals etc in Australia, which are randomly selected out of 200 questions. I think the citizenship test is discriminatory against migrants with limited English and limited literacy. Some of the sample questions from the test are below: (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21752187-2,00.html?CMP=KNC-google)  

 1. Which colours are represented on the Australian flag?
a. Green and yellow
b. Red, black and yellow
c. Blue, red and white
d.Orange and purple

 2. Indigenous people have lived in Australia for …
a. At least 40,000 years
b. About 8000 years
c. About 800 years
d. Less that 400 years

3. Australia’s national flower is the …
a. Rose
b. Wattle
c. Kangaroo paw
d. Banksia

4. Which is a popular sport in Australia?
a. Ice hockey
b. Water polo
c. Cricket
d. Table tennis 5. Australia’s political system is a …
a. Parliamentary democracy
b. Monarchy
c. Dictatorship
d. Socialist state

6. The Capital of Australia is…
a. Sydney
b. Melbourne
c. Hobart
d.Canberra

7. Which animals are on the Australian Coat of Arms?
a. Wombat and echidna
b. Kangaroo and emu
c. Kangaroo and dingo
d. Lion and unicorn

8. Where did the first European settlers to Australia come from?
a. Spain
b. France
c. England
d.Ireland

9. Who is Australia’s head of state?
a. Prime Minister John Howard
b. Queen Elizabeth II
c. Governor General Michael Jeffery
d. Premier Steve Bracks

10. Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?
a. Sir Edmund Barton
b. Sir Henry Parkes
c. John Curtin
d. Sir Robert Menzies

11. What song is Australia’s national anthem?
a. God Save the Queen
b. Star Spangled Banner
c. Advance Australia Fair
d. Waltzing Matilda

12. What do you call the elected head of a state government?
a. Governor
b. Premier
c. Mayor
d. Prime Minister

13. Which federal political party or parties are in power?
a. Australian Labor Party
b. Australian Democrats and the Australian Greens
c. National Party
d. Liberal Party and National Party

14. Which of the following are Australian values?
a. Men and women are equal
b. `A fair go’
c. Mateship
d. All of the above

15. Australia’s values are based on the …
a. Teachings of the Koran
b. The Judaeo-Christian tradition
c. Catholicism
d. Secularism

16. What does Anzac Day commemorate?
a. The Gallipoli landing
b. Armistice Day
c. The Battle of the Somme
d. Victory in the Pacific

17. In what year did the first European settlers arrive?
a. 1801
b. 1770
c. 1788
d. 1505

18. How many states are there in Australia?
a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8

19. Australian soldiers fought in …
a. World War I and World War II
b. Korean War
c. Vietnam War
d. All of the above

20. What is Australia’s biggest river system?
a. The Murray Darling
b. The Murrumbidgee
c The Yarra
d. The Mississippi

Answers:
1) C, 2) A, 3) B, 4) C, 5) A, 6) D, 7) B, 8 ) C, 9) B, 10) A, 11) C, 12) B, 13) D, 14) D, 15) B, 16) A, 17) C, 18) B, 19) D, 20) A

    On the 30th May 2007, the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Bill 2007 was introduced to Parliament. The majority of people who now want to apply for Australain Citizenship must first successfully pass the Citizenship Test, Australia. The test criteria will include a basic knowledge of the English language, adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship, and an understanding of the nature  of a citizenship application.

The test will consist of multiple choice questions from a database of up to 200 questions.
             

          Only succesful applicants will be able to progress to Australian Citizenship and therefore training is strongly recommended. All applicants must have a detailed knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privilages of becoming an Australian Citizen.