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I read with disgust the eligibility criteria for prospective applicants for the position of office manager at the Australian High Commission in Malta.
It was categorically stated that applicants have to be Australian citizens, who do not hold a dual citizenship (my emphasis). This one really takes the cake. Considering that the Malta High Commission in Canberra has employed Australian citizens, who do not also have a Maltese citizenship, it doesn't take much to figure out how much the Australian government simply uses people/nations; and here we shall not contemplate to enter the debate about East Timor and the revenue from oil and gas in the Timorese Sea.
The readers should also be reminded that it was Maltese contacts and diplomatic know-how in the 1970s that helped Australia establish diplomatic ties with what's now arguably the world's biggest economy, by virtue of sheer numbers: The Republic of China. I have mentioned this piece of history of diplomacy to pose a most relevant question. What threat could a dual citizen, namely Australian/Maltese, possibly pose to Australia and its people, if she or he is capable enough, and has the required aptitude, qualifications, professionalism and integrity to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Australian High Commission in Malta?
This dual citizen, by virtue of birth in Malta and migration in adulthood, is neither in a position, nor inclined to apply for the job. However, I've grown cynical enough to believe that the prospective ‘successful’ candidate is now cruising the Mediterranean, or skiing the slopes of Mt Kosciusko, waiting for his/her interview and the plum position.
We, from Down Under, shall stay tuned.
Lucy Calleja
Sydney,
Australia
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