WHAT OR WHO IS TRUE BLUE?

Sydney, Sept 22 NZPA - When packing an esky, do you put the ice, or the beer, in first?

That's one of the questions in a citizenship test doing the rounds on the Internet.

It looks authentic with the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs letterhead, but it's soon apparent that this is not the test that the government is proposing for new migrants before they can gain citizenship.

Other questions in the fake test include naming the Australian prime minister who held the world record for drinking a yardie full of beer, naming five essential items for a barbecue and identifying what budgie smugglers are.

Then there are: On which Ashes tour did Warnie's hair look best? And how often should sausages be turned at a BBQ.

Barbecue methodology and protocol feature prominently in the fake test.

It concludes with a familiar box marked "Office Use Only" which contains the options "In"; "Out"; "Can I have another crack at it?"

The test the Government is proposing as part of its new citizenship laws isn't quite as BBQ-focused, but it is at the centre of heated debate in Australia right now.

Parliamentary secretary for immigration Andrew Robb released the proposals last weekend.

They include requiring potential Australian citizens to pass a written and oral English test and a 30-question general knowledge quiz.

The quiz would ask, in English, about the Australian system of government, the legal system, voting, history and geography. Questions could require people to list the animals on Australia's coat of arms and name the country's national flower.

Robb said the formal citizenship test would not require a university level of understanding of English.

Failure wouldn't impact on a person's existing visa status, and they could re-sit the test.

"It will provide a real incentive to learn English and to understand the Australian way of life," Robb said.

He said citizenship was a privilege. "It tells us who we are are and where we fit in the world. It is a unifying force in Australia and if we give it away like confetti it is not valued."

Most people wanting to become citizens already have to show a basic understanding of English, but requirements are becoming stricter. People will now have to be resident for four years instead of two before being allowed to apply for citizenship.

The proposals have created a storm of protest, particularly from some Muslim leaders, though plenty of people support them as well.

Labor spokeswoman on citizenship Annette Hurley said the question she got asked the most was "Would Australians be able to pass the test?"

The Daily Telegraph newspaper's answer to that, via an informal survey, was that many Aussies would struggle.

It said most citizens questioned struggled to name Australia's national flower as the golden wattle and just one in 10 knew Michael Jeffery was the governor-general.

Most estimated Australia's population to be about 20 million, but many said a koala graced the Commonwealth coat of arms instead of the the kangaroo and emu.

While some said the proposed questions were too tough, a councillor in one of Sydney's most ethnically diverse areas called for Aussie slang to be included in the test.

Nick Adams asked Ashfield Council to lobby the government to make sure migrants understood the Aussie vernacular.

"If you are going to live in Australia, you should be aware of the various Aussie slang around the place. We use slang quite a lot.

"Most migrants probably wouldn't know that when you call someone `Bluey', you're referring to the colour of their hair," he told the Telegraph.

"Often there are blank stares when people are not sure what slang means. It's important in order to properly integrate into Australian culture to be proficient in Aussie slang."

It becomes a question of how far do you go? One writer said tongue-in-cheek maybe migrants should be required to watch Kath and Kim on repeat until they laugh, or they re-evaluate their decision to move to Australia.

The fake test didn't offer answers to its questions, though Bob Hawke was the yardglass champion and Warnie's hair has always been terrible.

It also didn't take into account Australia's close proximity to New Zealand and the need for migrants to know some important trans-Tasman facts.

It should have asked the following.-

* In which country were Russell Crowe, the Finn brothers and Phar Lap born?

* Against which country did Australia deliver an underarm bowl to in a cricket match in 1981, prompting which prime minister to say it was appropriate Australia was wearing yellow?

* How many rugby tests did the Wallabies win against New Zealand this year? Last year? The year before?

Okay, they won one in 2004. You've got to be friendly.