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Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights in Contemporary Australia: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM (2001)

Despite its rather grand title, this presentation will be a relatively modest attempt to set out the key challenges for human rights in Australia as I see them at the outset of my term as Human Rights Commissioner. Let us begin with a quick survey of the state of human rights internationally and in Australia today.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights in the Asia Pacific Region

It is my pleasure to report to you today on the outcome of deliberations of the Working Group on Human Rights Education. This working group was relatively small in size but very diverse and robust in its deliberations. It consisted of representatives of Arabic countries, including the host country Qatar as well as Japan, the Philippines and Australia.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Statement on Mandatory Sentencing

This is a rare event for the Human Rights Commission - a media conference convened by the President with other Commissioners. I can recall it occurring only once before in the Commission's history. The fact that we are doing this today reflects the seriousness of the issue we are discussing.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Queer Rights At Work

I also want to thank the conference organisers for the opportunity to speak today. conferences such as this are great opportunities to discuss some of the pressing human rights issues in Australia. I'm particularly pleased to be talking about queer rights in the workplace, as fair employment conditions are some of the most fundamental of all human rights. Trade unions have a long history of fighting for justice in the workplace, and I encourage the unions here today to continue that fight for gay, lesbian, transsexual and intersex workers.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Mornington Peninsula Shire Conference

Firstly I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and by so doing remind ourselves that Australia's cultural traditions stretch back many thousands of years.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

The human rights of older Australians in the bush: Chris Sidoti

I am very pleased to be here tonight at the Rural Ageing Seminar dinner. Thank you, to Dame Roma and the Rural Ageing Seminar Reference Group, for inviting me to attend an event that (for once) takes place where it counts - in rural South Australia.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Religious Freedom Review (2018)

Submitted to: Expert Panel Downloads Download Word (279 KB) Download PDF (452.22 KB) Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to the Expert Panel   Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Recommendations 3 Commission work on religious freedom 4 Religious freedom in international human rights law 4.1 The right to freedom of...

Category, Submission
Rights and Freedoms

Can rights solve the issue of homelessness?

Homelessness has, I'm sure, been on your agendas for many years. More recently, both Parity and the Rudd federal government (if I can put you both in the same league) has given it a much increased focus. Today, I want to identify the many human rights issues raised in the context of homelessness, and suggest how a human rights framework would help address what is an ever-increasing problem in our society.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Centrelink’s compliance program

1. Introduction The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) welcomes the opportunity to make this submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee (the Committee) regarding its inquiry into ‘Centrelink’s compliance program’. This inquiry follows a previous report of the...

Category, Submission