Zimbabwean activist Chido Govera says she is surprised Australians are having a debate about what it means to be “Australian”, which disregards the bigger picture of a “growing global community”.

“I am surprised because I have the understanding that we are living in a world that is becoming more global,” she said on Monday night’s Q&A.

“If anything, we should be looking to see how we can actually foster this aspect of being global and to find a way of working together … [and] welcoming those who are coming in and, of course, there are also Australians going out – and letting this exchange happen to be able to build the resilience we need to survive in a global world.”

When asked by host Tony Jones whether the citizenship changes sounded a bit “insular”, several panelists responded: “Yes! Yes!”, while Ms Govera smiled.

The panel launched into a deep discussion about Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s recent citizenship crackdown.

How is a multiple-choice test able to test one’s commitment to values? @AlexHawkeMP & Germaine Greer respond #QandA pic.twitter.com/I8rvtzkYqM

— QandA (@QandA) April 24, 2017

Audience member Kirstie Popple said she and her family were midway through completing their citizenship application when the shock announcement was made last Thursday.

“We finished and lodged it on the Friday but now we are worried that we will have to wait another three years before we are eligible to apply and our application will be refused,” she said.

“There are a lot of people in a similar situation to us and we would like to ask the Immigration Minister to reconsider the criteria for eligibility in such an abrupt fashion and consider the impact that it is going to have on the families.

“We have been here [in Australia] seven or eight years now. We’ve had two kids here. So all they know is Australia. They go to school here. We volunteer at the local rugby league club and our son plays there. So we are very much a part of the community, just like any Australian.”

Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Alex Hawke said the reason for the abrupt deadline was to avoid a “rush of people trying to qualify under the old system”.

“There will always be appeals for people. Those processes will be outlined as this develops,” he said.

“We understand there will be people impacted by this, but the requirements we are putting forward in setting a higher bar in the citizenship, have the support of the public and they have been widely consulted over many years.”

Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke accused the Coalition of announcing the changes in an effort to increase the party’s ratings in the polls.

Mr Hawke dismissed the claims as “a lie”.

Victorian Senator and former journalist Derryn Hinch said he supported the citizenship changes.

Germaine Greer: “It is a bit odd. Some of us here … wouldn’t pass the bloody test!” Photo: ABC

He reflected on his own experiences of going through the Australian citizenship process 35 years ago.

“Some of the changes are good and some will hurt some people. When I became a citizen, it was far too easy. You didn’t need police checks. You didn’t have to fill in a questionnaire,” Mr Hinch said.

“The biggest thing, though, is if you lie in your application and then you commit a crime in Australia down the track, they have got that hidden weapon and can throw you out of the country because you lied originally.”

Feminist icon Germaine Greer comically shared her experience of having sought dual citizenship, posing questions about potential flaws in the citizenship application process.

“The odd thing was we had to do this dreadful ceremony where we had to take an oath and I had to swear to honour the Queen,” she said.

“I thought, this is outrageous. English people don’t have to be loyal. They don’t have to be royalists. They can be Republicans. But I, as an Australian with duel citizenship, have to be a royalist. It is all bollocks.

“It is a bit odd. Some of us here … wouldn’t pass the bloody test!”