CANBERRA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- An Australian Member of Parliament (MP) has lobbied the government to introduce a new verse into the Australian national anthem, following controversial changes to the nation's citizenship test last week.
Andrew Laming, a Liberal Party MP and former social media adviser to the government, is calling for either a new verse in the national anthem to reflect "Australian values" or for a whole new anthem to be decided upon, following last week's announcement by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that potential Australian citizens would have to pass a new "Australian values" test.
The citizenship test would ask prospective Australians whether or not it is acceptable to hit women, mutilate genitalia or incite family violence among other things which are deemed unacceptable in Australian society.
Laming told Fairfax Media that Australia's national anthem should reflect true Australian values and freedoms more clearly.
"Australia really has to be a nation famous for its freedom but if anyone transgresses or takes them for granted then I think people are very quick to be critical of that," he said on Wednesday.
Australia's national anthem, called "Advance Australia Fair," has been the official national anthem since 1984, after it replaced "God Save the Queen," but Laming said Advance Australia Fair was merely the result of a "song competition."
He said he is calling for it to be "jazzed up" or replaced with an anthem more "representative of today."
"I'm no great fan of our current national anthem, to be honest," Laming said, "If you're going to contemplate a new verse you should contemplate a new national anthem."
