A British migrant who wants to work as a nurse in Australia has been told she must take an English language test before her application will be considered.
'Are you joking?' Mrs Julie Dutton asked officials. 'I'm from England. I was educated there. I worked there. I speak fluent English.'

But politically correct officials in Sydney told her that unless she took the test, proving she understood and could speak English, she couldn't be considered for the job.
Mrs Dutton's revelations come the day after Australia announced it was cutting its foreign migrant intake by 14 per cent to help protect jobs for Australian workers.
But Mrs Dutton's problems arose before the migrant cuts were announced.
She and her Australian husband moved to Sydney from the UK last year, where she had been working as a nurse.
Three weeks ago, she applied to have her British nursing qualifications recognised in New South Wales - and she prepared herself for differences that might arise in the way things are done in her profession in the UK and in Australia.
What she did not expect was to be challenged on her understanding of the English language, she told Australia's ABC news network.
'I was told the application could not be processed because I had not taken the English language exam and now I have to wait until June before I can apply again and when I will be able to take the test to prove I can speak English.
'I didn't even know that you needed an English language test and I said: "Are you sure? I am from England, I was educated in the UK and I have worked in the UK. I speak fluent English."

'And they said: "There are no exemptions from this now as of the 1st of January."'

Mrs Dutton did not point out the obvious - that the fact she was even able to hold a conversation with officials in the English language was evidence she could speak it.
Last night, the Premier of New South Wales, Mr Nathan Rees, promised to look into her case - but he admitted that on the face of it, 'it sounds absurd'.
The State's conservative opposition told the ABC that it was a case of 'bureaucracy gone mad'.

Yesterday it was announced that Australia is set to protect The 14 per cent cut in immigration comes on a wave of concern that skilled foreign workers could stoke resentment by taking jobs at a time of rising unemployment.
One expert slammed the situation as 'madness' after mine workers in Queensland and Western Australia found that their positions were being filled by foreign workers.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans, who removed hairdressers and cooks from Australia's critical occupation shortage list at Christmas, said he was now also deleting foreign bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters and electricians from the list that guides skilled migration intake.