The Australian Citizen Bill is one that is tabulated in federal parliament. I cannot find a citizen's bill in the Commonwealth Consolidated Acts database , so it must be an entirely new bill rather than an amendment. The legislation mentions the "old act" But I am not sure what the old act is, the Migration Act 1958?

The Howard government has proven consistently nationalist, and defining just what a citizen is would seem a natural path for that form of nationalist ideology. The Bill is not a private member bill, so it must have come from the Liberal Government's executive cabinet.

Eligibility includes being able to speak passable English;

(e) possesses a basic knowledge of the English language at the time of the Minister's decision on the application; and

On an Australian Citizen ceasing to be a citizen and eligbility on remaining an Australian citizen;

If the person has at any time ceased to be an Australian citizen, the Minister must not approve the person becoming an Australian citizen during the period of 12 months starting on the day on which the person ceased, or last ceased, to be an Australian citizen.

The Act contains a section on renunciation. Many countries, such as the USA require an individual to renounce their parent country when they take citizenship. This makes dual-citizenship impossible.

The Minister must, by writing, approve or refuse to approve the person renouncing his or her Australian citizenship.

I think that means if you renounce your Australian citizenship, you have to write the minister to say you are doing it, and the Minister can then reject the renunciation. I wonder if this is what Rupert Murdoch did to become a dual citizen with the US? I can recall speaking to an Australian real-estate agent who said her children were dual Au-US citizens. Then again maybe this clause was written for future Ruperts;

The Minister must not approve the person renouncing his or her Australian citizenship if the Minister considers that it would not be in the interests of Australia to do so.

The pledge of commitment is pretty good. It comes in two forms, one godly and one heathen;

Form of pledge no. 1

From this time forward, under God,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
whose democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.

Form of pledge no. 2

From this time forward,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
whose democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.

IIRC the pledge used to have the Queen in it. These are good pledges that sidestep the constitutional monarchical nature of our our anochronistic executive system. How republican of the Liberals.