Woz Applying For Australian Citizenship Because of the NBN 385
An anonymous reader writes "It's a well known fact that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is a fan of Australia and now we know why. He supports a national broadband network — a scheme being rolled out by the Australian government to provide fibre 'for everyone' — so much he's applying for citizenship, the Australian Financial Review reports. You can be assured that he's not giving up his American citizenship though, he told Brisbane radio."
And for U.S. citizens: "Despite his status as a technology icon, Mr Wozniak said he was not connected to a broadband service in his home in California, classing the options available to him as a 'monopoly.' 'There’s only one set of wires to be on and I’m not going to pull strings to get them to do something special for me,' he said .... 'I've sat with our FCC commissioner and told him that story in his office, but it’s not going to happen. We just don’t have the political idea to bring broadband to all the people who are 1 kilometer too far away.'"
How is he going to become a citizen? (Score:1, Informative)
I thought Australian immigration requires anyone to be of at least 1 or 2 years (depending on few factors) as a permanent resident before they can apply to become a citizen, and becoming a PR in itself takes a while. Maybe easier to get the PR status for him due to his status and wealth, but citizenship is entirely different, I think? Possibly also requires certain amount of stay in the country to earn it. Would appreciate if any /.er has better detail on immigration requirements.
Because otherwise this just sounds like a really early non-news. Good on him for coming over to this side of the oceans though.
Re:"Not giving up his American Citizenship" (Score:5, Informative)
You could Google dual citizenship and check the first result: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html
Re:"Not giving up his American Citizenship" (Score:5, Informative)
no, it's not a rule at all. your information is about 45 years out of date.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html [state.gov]
http://www.richw.org/dualcit/faq.html#noway [richw.org]
Re:Dumb (Score:5, Informative)
As someone who is currently watching Telstra upgrade the infrastructure (pits etc) on my street in preparation for the NBN roll-out in my area, I can say that the NBN is most definatly NOT a fail (not compared to the Liberal alternative of fiber-to-the-node or the current situation of ADSL if you are lucky, overpriced 3G if you are not)
Re:'monopoly' (Score:5, Informative)
Re:With all due respect to the Woz (Score:5, Informative)
Re:stupid (Score:5, Informative)
Emergency Kit = Australia has extremely good emergency response (SES, Fire Services, Police, Ambulance Services) for everyone.
Basic Medical Care = Medicare. Quality health care for anyone all billed directly to the government.
Place to Live = Low homeless rate and good quality government housing.
Proper Nutritional Assistance = Covered under Medicare
Bomb Shelter = We aren't paranoid.
Gun = Don't want em.
Efficient Car = Some excellent cars available if people want them, but many still drive SUVs or low efficient cars through choice.
Water Filtration System = We have excellent tap water in most cities. One exception, and they have alternatives in place.
Money off their taxes = We have a AAA economy still.
Vote that actually counts = Compulsory voting and our representatives will generally talk to us if we need them to.
Additional Insulation = Been there, was a waste of money.
Own surveillance and security system = What now? See point 1.
Money = AAA economy. Strong dollar.
Food talks = We produce most of our own food and export almost as much again.
Looks like we covered your bases. Time to build us an Internet that's better.
Australian citizenship. (Score:5, Informative)
This "well known fact" is news to me.
I have not applied for Australian citizenship but have taken some first steps towards it. I would very gladly be a devoted and loyal Australian. This has nothing to do with the NBN, which I do praise in concept, regardless of whether it even exists. I would love to be an Australian even with lower bandwidth like I have today in the States. I do applaud any attempts toward inclusion of all. For things as important as broadband, we should deal with our fellows as family and take care of those who just live in the wrong place. That's my personal opinion but it has nothing to do with why I would love to reside in Australia.
Cheers, mates
Re:That's like applying to be Canadian... (Score:5, Informative)
To elaborate,
(1) When I migrated to Australia in 1987, the typical procedure was to apply through an Australian Consulate for a migrant visa, which after a qualifying period, was upgraded to permanent resident status. Only after a period of two years was it possible to apply for Australian citizenship. I am given to understand that conditions for such an application are now much stricter and more onerous.
(2) The NBN (although IMO a very nice idea) is being implemented very patchily, and has never enjoyed the support of the opposition party in Federal Parliament, so may well end up being shitcanned after the next election, leaving the majority of households to fight for whatever best connection they can find, exactly as before. If Woz chooses to live close to a metropolitan area, he is likely to find a good ADSL2 connection from one or other of the major players such as Internode or iiNet, but that might be as good as he'll get.
Re:Thats no way to be a good citizen (Score:5, Informative)
Its actually WAY funnier than that. So the Puritans were this completely bug-fsck religious sect, they honestly believed that as a Christian your life should be a miserable lot so along that thinking they outlawed music, dancing and singing. So to express their love for their maker they proceeded by smashing the church organs in England and cutting ears off people who dared to enjoy music. The English people, most of whom were sane at the time made it clear to the King, its us or them, so there were asked to leave England with extreme prejudice. They traveled and made friends wherever the went... not. They landed in the Netherlands, the most accepting and accommodating people in Western Europe in that day, and after just a few years wore out their welcome big time. Where to go... Of course the New World, where they could practice their religion without persecution (which would be truly odd because almost from the get, practicing their religion involved persecuting someone, somewhere.)
And so they went to the New World. Here's the really funny part. The few Puritan Communities that survived were vicious nasty places and as a general practice they slaughtered Native Americas who helped them and showed pity on them when they first came to the New Land. The really funny part is that many of the first colonies vanished. Well not completely. It seems that when confronted with the idiocy of their beliefs and the natives with plenty of food, happy children and healthy lives, they said screw it and joined the local tribes. So from just about any angle you slice this, there wasn't a lot pure about the Puritans. Most of what get's taught in our elementary schools is just plain crap. Now we have states that are actually codifying religious crap they want to teach children instead of science and just physical reality in general. I realize teaching children the truth, and at an early age fostering the notion of questioning authority would make life for the Plutocrats almost unbearable, but it would sure make a more interesting civilization.
Re:"Not giving up his American Citizenship" (Score:5, Informative)
Wouldn't have taken much research to find out this is no longer the case. First hit on Google:
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/current/dual_citizenship/ [citizenship.gov.au]
Basically prior to April 2002, you are correct - Australian citizenship was lost if you acquired a different citizenship. But for the last 10 years, that has not been true - dual citizenship is recognised and perfectly OK now.
Re:"Not giving up his American Citizenship" (Score:5, Informative)
AC is correct (I'm also a dual US-Aussie citizen). Australia recognises both and regards both as valid. The US doesn't disallow you getting another citizenship ... but basically ignores its existence and will treat you the same as if you were simply any other US citizen.
Incidentally if you are an Australian citizen you should always enter Australia on your Australian passport, even if you could technically enter on the other one. Less trouble for you, and it allows you indefinite entry, whereas for the other passport you'd need a visa or electronic travel authority etc. set up. Plus it screws their 'is the person in or out of the country at the moment' system up if you leave and enter on different passports (which matters if there's an emergency in a place overseas and they need to know if any Australian citizens might be there).
Re:High speed download of whatever you're allowed. (Score:4, Informative)
What on earth are you going on about? The internet filter proposal was dropped and is unlikely to be reintroduced for a long time, as it's politically untenable. The net is currently no more censored here than in any other country.
Also, Australia has an absolutely massive online gambling industry ... so much so that some of the biggest online betting agencies have actually moved from other countries, to base themselves here. Again - not sure where your comments came from.
Re:That's like applying to be Canadian... (Score:4, Informative)
Uh no.
There's nothing in the constitution act that dictates healthcare. Technically the CA predates minus small revisons the CHA. You might want to go read the Canada Health Act. [hc-sc.gc.ca] which is what defines who is responsible. The provinces, not the feds. Unless the a 3rd party determines that the province is grossly negligent to the point where the federal government is required to take over under the CHA.
Re:That's like applying to be Canadian... (Score:5, Informative)
To accelerate the process there is actually a not well publicised side route. First step choose your state, Honestly for Steve Wonzniak I would recommend South Australia and Adelaide, as the ideal choice, his sort of speed and environment. Once state choice is made, you look for state sponsored immigration ie employment roles the state needs fulfilled for accelerated immigration. In Steve's case, not so much the employee but as an employer would very likely see his immigration accelerated weeks versus months or years (yep for the unskilled and un-needed, years).
Should he choose a metropolitan life style in the centre centre he can very likely hook up to broadband, http://www.internode.on.net/residential/fibre_to_the_home/estates/ [on.net]. This is where the search starts.
So money alone is not the answer, knowing the accelerated means of immigration are. State employment opportunities, employer sponsored opportunities, family based and as always the marriage route. I was often surprised when dealing with foreign corporations, they would bring in a foreign expert for a few months and you would work through the project. The next thing you know a few months after the project ends, the foreign expert contacts you from different company, you find out they used that temporary employment visa to extend into permanent migration and quit their original company because there were no permanent positions available. The weather gets them, snow is great for holidays but living in it can be a pain.
Re:That's like applying to be Canadian... (Score:4, Informative)
P.S. I forgot to mention that SA is an on the spot fine for possession of cannabis whether harvested or not, with limits on quantities, not knowing Steve's inclinations with regard to recreational substances, this might or might not swing his decision or anyone else's out there. SA is considered pretty laid back, Australia's biggest country town, for a reason ;).
Re:That's like applying to be Canadian... (Score:5, Informative)
But seriously, fuck Australia's beaches. Blue bottles, box jellies, Portuguese man o wars, shark central and crocks.
Dude, you forgot the blue-ringed octopus, stonefish, sea-snakes and cone snails (yes folks, there are even fuckin' snails that can kill ya!).
Welcome to Australia!