PM calls for ‘discussion’ on being Australian as well as laws to strip nationality from terrorists

news.com.au ^ | 26th May 2015

[naturalman1975]

CAN you recite Australia’s citizenship pledge?

Tony Abbott believes we all should be able to rattle off the five lines of the oath and wants to talk to you about it if you can’t.

The Prime Minister made that clear today as he confirmed plans to strip terrorists of their nationality.

Mr Abbott wants a “national conversation” about the rights and duties of Australian citizenship as well as its privileges. He underlined the “profound commitment to this country” in the pledge to highlight the seriousness of withdrawing citizenship.

“Every new citizen takes the citizenship pledge. Increasingly at citizenship ceremonies, all of us are invited to take the citizenship pledge,” the Prime Minister told reporters just before reciting it himself:

From this time forward, under God,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
whose democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.

“These words must mean something. That’s the point. And this is the discussion we mean to have.”

.....

Mr Abbott confirmed that legislation would be introduced to take away the citizenship rights of dual citizens linked to or convicted of terrorism, or found to have fought overseas with a terror group such as Islamic State.

[MeganC]

Is Abbott free to run for President of the USA next year? We’ve tried a Kenyan maybe we can do better with an Australian!

[Lurkinanloomin]

It would be refreshing to elect somebody who cared more about the citizens than the fraudulently documented foreigners.

(I think of him as Kenyanesian)

[driftless2]

Strip nationality from terrorists? How about just execute terrorists? However, I would like to congratulate the Australian gov. for at least taking some measures to rid their country of the subhuman menace. Just have to go a little further. My choices to Islamists: noose or bullet?

[The_Reader_David]

To execute a terrorist you need to at least have said terrorist within range of a suitable weapons-system with adequate targeting coordinates. An Aussie dual citizen at an unknown location in, say, Syria can be stripped of his or her Australian citizenship.