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Opinion Pieces / Articles

This section contains articles and opinion pieces by the various Commissioners and staff of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The following opinion pieces have been published by the President and Commissioners. Reproduction of the opinion pieces must include reference to where the opinion piece was originally published.

Professor Gillian Triggs- President, Australian Human Rights Commission

• Opinion pieces will be available shortly after publication.

Ms Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner

• Victimisation of those who report sexual harassment is increasing
  
  Published in The Australian, Tuesday 30 October 2012
• ADF Review has wider significance
  
  Published in The Canberra Times, Tuesday 30 October 2012
• ADF must change to survive
  
  Published in The National Times, Wednesday 22 August 2012
• Let's all take a stand against sexual harassment
  
  Published in The National Times, Tuesday 24 July 2012
• Promoting peace benefits from a woman's touch
  
  Published in The National Times, Thursday 15 March 2012
• Business must face up to domestic violence
  
  Published in The Drum, Thursday 8 December 2011
• An attitude that shows disrespect
  
  Published in The National Times, Thursday 7 April 2011
• Bystanders must join fight against bullying
  
  Published in The Newcastle Herald, Wednesday, 23 March 2011
• When domestic violence comes to work
  
  Published in The Punch, Tuesday 8 March 2011
• Quotas could build critical mass
  
  Published in The Australian Financial Review, Thursday, 18 November 2010
• Will sexual harassment ever be eliminated?
  
  Published in The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday, 6 November 2010.
• Another step closer to gender equality
  
  Published in The Newcastle Herald, 22 October 2010
• Women in sport hit the grass ceiling
  
  Published in The Age, 21 May 2010
• Mandatory quotas may be needed on boards
  
  Published in Australian Financial Review, 8 April 2010
• Discrimination occurs against older workers
  
  Published in The Newcastle Herald, 5 February 2010
• The Boardroom is no longer a closed shop
  
  Published in The Sun-Herald, 27 December 2009.
• Make room at the table for women
  
  Published in The Australian Financial Review, 29 October 2009.
• Why gender quotas would help Australian business
  
  Published in The Punch, 16 October 2009.
• Older people and employment: the invisible discrimination
  
  Published in The National Times, 1 October 2009
• Time for action on parental leave
  
  Published in The Age, 10 April 2009
• Women on the verge of recession
  
  Published in The Ruby Connection, 18 March 2009
• Make Australia work: Working women deserve better
  
  Published in Business Spectator, 30 January 2009
• Maternity leave scheme is a must
  
  Published in The Sunday Age, 23 November 2008
• Maternity leave is a must
  
  Published in The Courier Mail, 21 November 2008
• The 'burden' that should be a blessing
  
  Published in Australian Financial Review, 1 October 2008
• Small business needs to think big about paid maternity leave
  
  Published in Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 2008
• Time to Adjust the work-life balance
  
  Published in The Australian, 11 April 2008
• Maternity scheme is overdue
  
  Published in The Age, 8 April 2008
• Time to induce paid maternity leave
  
  Published in The Newcastle Herald, 28 February 2008
• Profession should be re-engineered to help women reach the top
  
  Published in The Australian, 8 February 2008
• Improper sexual behaviour still rife
  
  Published in The Canberra Times, 6 February 2008
• Let’s not take another quarter century to end sexual harassment
  
  Published in The Advertiser, 11 January 2008
• Flexibility the key to a better work environment
  
  Published in Sydney Morning Herald,21 December 2007
• Women's business is everyone's business
  
  Published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 8 October 2007

Mr Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

• Native title reform could go closer to fulfilling Mabo's legacy
  
  Publication: Sydney Morning Herald, Page 9 (Mon 4 Jun 2012)
• Solidarity is key to a reconciled Australia
  
  Publication: Sun Herald, Page 26 (Sun 3 Jun 2012)
• One's identity is for the individual to determine
  
  Published in The National Times, Friday 24 November 2011
• Indigenous inclusion is good for our constitution
  
  Published in The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 9 July 2010
• Real people affected by racist taunts
  
  Published in The National Times, Friday 18 June 2010
• Seeing reconciliation through is an ongoing challenge but ultimately rewarding
  
  Published in ABC's The Drum, 02 June 2010
• New National Congress has every chance of being an organisation of which we can be proud
  
  Published in Koori Mail, 06 May 2010

Mr Graeme Innes AM, Disability Discrimination Commissioner

• Confessions of an ABC lover
  
  Published in ABC Ramp Up, Friday 2 November 2012
• Three's company for Jetstar
  
  Published in ABC Ramp Up, Thursday 25 August 2011
• Are we a racist nation? No, but…
  
  Published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 9 August 2011
• NBN will build a bridge for disabled
  
  Published in The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 4 August 2011
• Budget gets it right for people with a disability
  
  Published in The Australian, Thursday 19 May 2011.
• Human rights: everyone, everywhere, everyday
  
  Published in ABC Unleashed, Tuesday 29 March 2011
• Smart and perceptive? Don't bank on it
  
  Published in ABC Ramp Up, Thursday 9 February 2011
• Don't forget the disabled in flood reconstruction
  
  Published in The Punch, Friday 10 February 2011
• Lights, camera, action for the first time in my life
  
  Published in The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 12 January 2011
• Humanity, Equality and Destiny?
  
  Published in ABC's The Drum, 15 October 2010
• Still judged by skin colour
  
  Publication: The Age, Monday 21 June 2010
• Opening a door on the bleak truth of homelesssness
  
  Published in The Daily Telegraph, Friday 18 June 2010
• Are we really the secular nation we think we are?
  
  Published in The Punch, 20 November 2009
• The path to social inclusion
  
  Published in SX Magazine, 14 May 2009
• Bikies had no answer as blind justice took over
  
  Published in The Daily Telegraph, 23 January 2009
• Scrutinising our counter-terrorism laws
  
  Published in On Line Opinion, 06 November 2008
• Delay in same-sex fairness is wrong
  
  Published in The Canberra Times, 20 June 2008 and Gay Destination, 26 June 2008
• Protecting Australian’s rights
  
  Published in On Line Opinion, 28 April 2008
• A question of human rights
  
  Published in The Age, 17 April 2008
• Immigration detention laws need reviewing
  
  Published in The Newcastle Herald, 17 January 2008.
• It's hard to argue against equality
  
  Published in On Line Opinion, 1 March 2007

Ms Susan Ryan, Age Discrimination Commissioner

• Recognising CALD Communities in Aged Care
  
  Published in Mosaic Magazine Issue 30, 8 June 2012
• We can't afford age inequality in the workforce
  
  Published in The National Times, 6 June 2012
• Removing the grey areas of age discrimination
  
  Published in The Drum Monday, 7 May 2012
• Beard gone all grey? It’s still your right to work.
  
  Published in The Punch Thursday, 3 May 2012
• Www.SusanRyan.Epiphany.com
  
  Published in The Hoopla Wednesday, 1 February 2012
• Remove age discrimination, and we’ll have more financially independent older people and a more productive economy
  
  Published in The Equality Law Reform Project, 10 October 2011
• Can we seriously say that 50 is too old to work?
  
  Published in The Punch, Saturday 1 October 2011

Dr Helen Szoke, Race Discrimination Commissioner

• Freedom of speech should not trump the right to safety
  
  Published in The Punch, Wednesday 29 August 2012
• No place in a proud nation for shallow judgements
  
  Published in the Daily Telegraph Friday 24 August 2012
• Are we in denial on racism?
  
  Published in The Hoopla Wednesday, 4 April 2012
• Don’t bury our heads in the sand on racism
  
  Published in the Daily Telegraph Monday, 2 April 2012

Opinion pieces from previous commissioners

• Archive

Also available:

Australian Human Rights Media Releases

Click here to access:

• Media Releases - 2011
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• Media Releases - 1999

For further information, please contact the Communications Unit via: media@humanrights.gov.au