The major parties have marked each other a "fail" over their understandings of English tests migrants would have to pass under proposed citizenship changes.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton was convinced he'd tripped up Labor after the party argued the tough new standards would demand university-level competence in the English language.
Mr Dutton said Labor either misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented the language tests, saying the government would be seeking competency in "general training" rather than "academic" English.
General training tests were aimed at those going to English-speaking countries for secondary education, work experience or training programs.
"The test focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts," Mr Dutton told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
"As opposed to the academic, which is the test for people applying for higher education or professional registration in an English-speaking environment."
Asked to describe in layman's terms the level of competence required under the general training, Mr Dutton agreed it was more akin to engaging with a shopkeeper than in an academic setting.
"It's a level of competency that I think enables people to be able to converse in community settings ... it allows people to be able to converse more effectively in the workplace, if people are going to TAFE or going to university," he said.
But opposition frontbencher Tony Burke labelled the proposed English tests for citizenship "ridiculous", pointing to nine universities who demanded the same standard for their own admissions.
"Peter Dutton has either been incompetent or deceptive. There is a chance he may be both," Mr Burke said.
He said the level required in the academic and general training was comparable. The content of one was easier, but the scoring harder, balancing the two.
Labor believes citizens should have conversational level of English and say the existing test already achieves this, warning of the consequences if the proposed changes are passed.
"They will be establishing a new group of permanent residents who are never invited to become citizens, and who are never invited to pledge allegiance to Australia," Mr Burke said.
"Being an Australian should be about your values and your commitment to your country, not how fancy your English skills are."
