Dutton really should mind his own language
THE Immigration Restriction Act 1901, supported by the first Prime Minister Edmund Barton, to limit immigration to Australia, became the basis of the White Australia policy.
That essentially was a policy to exclude all non- Europeans from entering Australia, although even some Europeans were excluded.
This was done by requiring a potential migrant to sit a 50word dictation test in any European language, left to the immigration officer.
Czechoslovakian Egon Kisch, exiled in 1934 for his opposition to Nazi Germany, could speak several European languages. He was given a test in Scottish Gaelic – the result was obvious.
The immigration officer himself was not altogether familiar with Scottish Gaelic.
The result of a High Court case was to overrule Kisch’s conviction for being an illegal immigrant. The dictation test became a disgrace.
In another case in 1936, a white British woman, born in India ( who presumably could speak English in the British Raj), was twice given a test in Italian, and, of course, failed. With ongoing publicity and a legal campaign the government could not give a convincing reason for her exclusion, and she was welcomed by the public with great fanfare. These cases brought the infamous dictation test into wide disrepute.
Fairly recently the Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has raised the notion of an English language test, said to be set at quite a high level. This led me to formulate a 50- word dictation test for all politicians, which I sent to Mr Dutton and Mr Turnbull. Here it is:
“One hopes an approver of English language tests is not an ultracrepidarian and at least knows the history of Etaoin shrdlu.
“Separately one would expect that a snollygoster would be extremely fluent in sesquipedalianism, if not hyperpolysyllabicsesquipedalianism, or if indeed nescient, at least appreciate the beauty and erudition of Clerihews.”
Ministers don’t read letters from the public – their staffers do. I had expected ( hoped?) that the relevant staffer would read the test to the Minister.
Strangely no response was received. I hope the Minister passed. How’s your Estonian?
R. L. AGACY,
Gulliver.