US tinge to our history

Most Australians think that Aboriginal people got the vote in 1967 as a result of the referendum that changed the Constitution. That referendum did delete sections that discriminated against them (such as one that said “Aboriginal natives” could not be counted in taking the census). However, they got the vote five years before when the law was changed by the Menzies Government in 1962.

If you are like many Australians, the odds are that you did poorly. This shows why more education about government and history is needed.

One of the reasons why governments fail to do their job is because people do not know enough to hold politicians to account. Where people do not understand how things work, it can be easier for our elected representatives to avoid scrutiny and to deflect blame.

It would be good for new citizens to have this knowledge. However, before we ask it of them, we also should take a hard look at ourselves. New citizens should know how our systems works, but so should we.

We need more investment in education to make sure that not only new, but also current citizens have the information they need to be good Australians.