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The operative provisions of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 commenced on 1 July 2007.
This means that applications for Australian citizenship under the new Act can now be lodged. See our media release of 1 July 2007 for an overview of the main reforms in this legislation, as well as the SCG's media release of 20 March 2007.
See our home page for more information, including links to citizenship application forms and SCG guidance documentation for applicants. E-mail us if you are not sure how or whether the 2007 Act impacts you and your family.
Senate Inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Bill 2005
November 2005 - February 2006
This page is now of historical interest only. It was originally created in late 2005, at the time that the Australian Democrats were instrumental in having the Senate refer the Australian Citizenship Bill 2005 to a special dedicated inquiry which was conducted by the Senate's Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee. After receiving submissions in December 2005 to mid February 2006, the Committee delivered its inquiry report to the Senate at the end of February 2006.
After a very long legislative journey, of which the Senate Inquiry into the Bill was an important component, the Australian Citizenship Bill was finally adopted by Federal Parliament in Canberra on 1 March 2007 and received Royal Assent on 15 March 2007. The expat-relevant provisions in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 entered into force on 1 July 2007, almost 3 years to the day since the government had announced it would change the law.
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By way of historical reference, the information below on this page provides links to key documents from the Senate's Inquiry into the Bill, as background reading for those who are interested in the history of Australia's new citizenship legislation with respect to those aspects impacting Australian families living abroad.
Submissions
Received by the Inquiry
Many individuals made submissions to the Citizenship Bill inquiry. All submissions
can be accessed using the above link.
SCG Primary Submission of 20 January 2006
This first submission to the Inquiry by the SCG focussed on the failure of
the Australian
Citizenship Bill 2005 to provide a direct route to Australian citizenship
for the overseas-born children of those who formally renounced their Australian
citizenship under Section 18 of the 1948 Citizenship Act.
Main
Submission Document (31 pages)
Annex
1 (Letter from Senator Hurley to the SCG of 20 January 2006)
Annex
2 (Letter from the SCG to Senator Hurley of 1 Dec 2005)
Annex
3 (E-mail from DIMIA dated 11 January 2006)
Annex
4 (SCG Data on Section 18 Families in Malta)
Annex
5 (E-mail exchange with DFAT of January 2006)
Annex
6A (SCG Media Release of 22 November 2005)
Annex
6B (Valletta Family Profile)
Annex
6C (Schembri Family Profile)
Annex
6D (Portelli Family Profile)
Annex
6E (Cassar Family Profile)
Annex
6F (Carabott Family Profile)
Annex
6G (Calleja Family Profile)
Annex
7 (Indicative List of Countries which Require Section 18 Renunciations)
Annex
8 (Standard Communication from Minister Cobb Justifying the Exclusion
of Section 18 Offspring dated January 2006)
Annex
9 (SCG Letter to Minister Hardgrave re Curmi Case of 19 August 2004)
Annex
10 (Article in Sydney Morning Herald by Peter Frey of 1-2 March
2003)
Submissions by Children in Malta
A number of youngsters in Malta, with parents born in Australia, sent drawings to the Senate Committee during the Inquiry, although the Committee chose not to treat them as formal submissions.
SCG First Supplementary Submission of 1 February 2006
This short supplementary submission updated Annex 5 to the SCG's primary submission of 20 January 2006.
Main
Submission Document (1 page letter)
Annex
(1 page E-mail from DFAT of 23 January 2006)
SCG Second Supplementary Submission of 8 February 2006
This second supplementary submission concerned Australian citizenship by descent
for those who are now adults who were adopted by Australian expatriates overseas
as children.
Main
Submission Document (16 Pages)
Annex
1 (Letter from Beryl Spalding to SCG of 27 July 2004)
Annex
2 (Letter from AHC London to Beryl Spalding of 7 June 1985)
Annex
3 (Letter from Beryl Spalding to AHC London of 9 Aug 1994)
Annex
4 (Letter from AHC London to Beryl Spalding of 24 Aug 1994)
Annex
5 (Letter from Beryl Spalding to Hon Gary Hardgrave of 27 March 2003)
Annex
6 (Letter from Hon Gary Hardgrave to Beryl Spalding of 30 April 2003)
SCG Third Supplementary Submission of 12 February 2006
This third supplementary submission concerned Australian citizenship for so-called Section 23 offspring, that is, Australian citizenship by descent for those born overseas to individuals who lost Australian citizenship while minors under Section 23 of the 1948 Australian Citizenship Act automatically when their parents lost under the former Section 17 on the acquisition of another citizenship.
Main
Submission Document (10 pages)
Annex
(Naturalisation Statistics and Estimates for Australians in the UK, the US
and Other Countries)
Transcripts of Public Hearings for the Inquiry
There were two public hearings held, one in Melbourne on 30 January 2006, and the other in Canberra on 6 February 2006. The SCG gave evidence at the Canberra hearing. For a full transcript of the Canberra hearing, click here.
Final Inquiry Report
Click here to access the final report resulting from the Citizenship Bill Inquiry, tabled in the Senate on 27 February 2006.
