Australian Values study guide

All Australians are protected by our laws and legal systems, and Australians recognise the importance of laws in maintaining a peaceful and orderly society. Under the Rule of Law, all Australians are equal in relation to the law and no person or group is above it.

Everybody should obey the law and not break it at any time, or face penalties — and you should follow the law even if no one is watching. Australian laws apply to all people in Australia, regardless of your background or culture.

People in Australia should be able to express their ideas freely, so long as it is within the law, and can meet, speak, write and protest peacefully — newspapers, television and radio have the same freedom. It is never acceptable to promote violence against another person or group (for example because of their culture, ethnicity, religion or background), and it is illegal to make false allegations or encourage others to break the law.

Freedom of association means people are free to join or leave any legal group voluntarily and cannot be compelled to join one. Freedom of religion means Australia has no official national religion and people are free to follow any religion they choose, with the government treating all citizens equally. Religious laws have no legal status: Australian law must be followed by everyone, even where it differs from religious laws, and practices such as polygamy and forced marriage are against the law.

Australian society values the equal rights of all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, race, or national or ethnic origin. People from different backgrounds are neither given preferential treatment nor discriminated against. Men and women have equal rights and equal access to education and employment, can vote, stand for parliament, and are treated equally in courts of law. Under our laws, two people can marry each other, including two men or two women, and divorce is acceptable.

Everyone deserves a 'fair go' and should not be limited by class distinction. What someone achieves should result from their hard work and talents — a person should get a job based on their skills and experience, not their gender, wealth or ethnicity. Many new migrants have become leaders in business, the professions, the arts, public service and sport through their hard work and enterprise.

Individuals must respect the freedom and dignity of others, and their opinions and choices. It is against the law to be violent towards another person: violence of any kind, including verbal and physical abuse, is illegal, and Australians believe in peaceful disagreement and the right to be safe and free from violence and intimidation.

Australia values mutual respect and tolerance — listening to others and respecting their views even when they differ from your own. Racism has no place in Australia, including creating or sharing racially offensive material online or making racially abusive comments in public or at a sporting event.

Citizenship lets you fully participate in the nation's life, and Australians expect everyone to contribute to the community and to try to support themselves and their families when able. Australians value 'mateship' and have a strong tradition of community service and volunteering — helping each other in times of need. Australian society values English as the national language and a unifying element, and applicants for citizenship undertake to make reasonable efforts to learn it if it is not their native language.

Everyone has responsibilities to help keep society safe — for example, reporting a suspected serious crime or child abuse to the authorities. In the citizenship pledge, citizens pledge their loyalty to Australia and its people. Australians may hold dual or multiple citizenship if other countries allow it, but must follow all Australian laws at all times, and our society is based on shared obligations not to undermine Australia's interests and security.