The Southern Cross Group [SCG] is an advocacy group for the Australian Diaspora. The Citizen Bill affects diasporans very closely, exposed as they are to the coal-face of nation-state visas, residency and citizenship demands. The Southern Cross Group recently sent out an email with information on the Citizen Bill and urging diasporans to make submissions to the Senate Inquiry.

The Southern Cross Group [SCG] is volunteer non-profit organisation for the purpose of advocacy and support of the Australian Diaspora. Since the Australian Diaspora is over 1 million people at any one time and increasing in number and wealth, it would be expected that the diaspora advocacy groups would be growing in political influence. This doesn't seem to be the case. Made more surprising by the turgid nature of the diaspora which constantly has Australians leaving and returning.

I am on the Southern Cross Group's unobtrusive and low volume mailing list. Recently there was an email sent out with information on the citizen bill, and the reminder that public submissions for the Senate Inquiry ended on January 16th, 2006.

The Southern Cross Group writes on the bill;

Along with the Australian Citizenship (Transitionals and Consequentials) Bill 2005, the Citizenship Bill will replace the Australian Citizenship Act 1948. It contains many of the citizenship reforms lobbied for by the SCG over several years on behalf of the Australian diaspora.

Key and very positive changes for those in the Australian community overseas include a simplified route to the resumption of citizenship lost on the acquisition of another citizenship before 4 April 2002 under the old Section 17. In addition, those who formally renounced under Section 18 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 in order to keep another citizenship in adulthood will be able to apply to resume their citizenship for the first time. The fundamental requirement for resumption will be that the person is of good character.

Further, certain people born overseas to Australian citizen parents who do not presently qualify to be Australian citizens by descent will be given access to Australian citizenship.

The first paragraph is interesting. It appears the SCG has had an influence on the bill. Despite their optimism, the Southern Cross Group identifies one area which they see remain an issue to diasporans;

Of greatest concern is the fact that children born overseas to Australian-born individuals after their formal renunciation of Australian citizenship under the current Section 18 are not being provided with access to Australian citizenship. In particular, this affects approximately 3000 children (average age of 10½) of some 2000 Australian-born people in Malta. If these children had had an Australian-citizen parent at the time of their birth, they would have been Australian citizens by descent.

More information on the Southern Cross Group's reaction and description of the Citizen bill is on their website .