Knowledge is power

So, I applied for an Australian Work Visa last month and one of the things that caught my attention was that part of the application involved my acceptance of Australian values as outlined below.

The Australian Government encourages people to gain an understanding of Australia, its people and their way of life, before applying for a visa to live in Australia. As part of this application every person aged 18 years or over must declare that they will respect Australian values and obey the laws of Australia. You will be asked to confirm that any person aged 18 years or over, who is included in this application, has advised you that they agree with this requirement. The Australian values are outlined below.

Australian values include respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, Parliamentary democracy, equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good.

Australian society also values equality of opportunity for individuals, regardless of their race, religion or ethnic background.

I never had to work in a foreign country before and it was the first time ever that I had to apply for a Work Visa so I thought the fact that I had to agree to abide by the above listed values was an interesting bit. What makes it even more interesting is the values themselves which makes Australia sound like a great place to live and work. I had a choice between moving to the US or Australia to work and after seeing the above I have to admit that for once I feel like I made the right choice. Kudos to the Australian citizens for creating a nation that supports such great values.