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Rights and Freedoms

Rural youth suicide: convention, context and cure: Chris Sidoti (1999)

Every suicide of a young person is not an isolated, individualised event. Certainly it robs the young person of his or her promised future. But it also traumatises the family, the friends, the school or workmates and, especially in a rural or remote community, the entire community. Every suicide of a young person speaks volumes of weeks, months, even years of confusion, alienation, hopelessness and despair leading up to the final and fatal event.

Commission – General

President Speech: ‘Women as Agents of Change’: Balancing the scales

I would like to begin by also acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. I pay my respects to their elders past and present. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the inspirational work of so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have been agents of change, be they barristers, lawyers, judges, litigants or community advocates.

Commission – General

President speeches: Speech at Annual UNAA Day Dinner

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Kaurna people, and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

Commission – General

Creating Fairness and Equality in the Workplace

It is now 12 months since the introduction of WorkChoices radically restructured Australia’s industrial relations system. Today, I propose to reflect on the implications of WorkChoices for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and to outline reforms HREOC believes are necessary to safeguard fairness and equality in the workplace.

Commission – General

Society of University Lawyers

When I was invited to give this address, my first thought was to talk about unlawful discrimination in the context of higher education and, in particular, disability discrimination.

Commission – General

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Set against the wreckage and the unthinkable horror of the Second World War, the Declaration was something of a phoenix rising from the ashes, a document which sought to rekindle a human dignity which had been gravely debased in the preceding ten years.

If you feel uncomfortable, or like something is wrong, it’s really important you get help. Something not feeling right could mean that a person or an organisation isn’t playing by the rules when it comes to your rights. Let’s step through who you can turn to when children’s rights aren’t being respected.

I need help right now

If you feel unsafe or like something bad is happening to you right now, there are people who can help you straight away.

Call 000 to get help from the police, an ambulance or fire brigade.
Call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or use their webchat to speak to someone who will listen to your worries, and give you options for support.
Tell an adult you can trust.

Know your rights

The first step in figuring out whether your rights have been disrespected is to know what they are in the first place. As a child in Australia, you have lots of rights. Like:

the right to be treated fairly
the right to have a say about decisions affecting you
the right to live and grow up healthy
the right to be safe no matter where you are
the right to get an education
the right to play and have fun!

If you want to find out more about your rights, we’ve got a page just for that.

Reach out to an adult you can trust

A good place to start if you feel like something is wrong is to speak to an adult you can trust - someone who will listen, believe and help you.

The first person you talk to may not be the right person so it’s okay to keep telling other safe people in your life until you have been heard, believed, and someone helps you.

Get help from a service you can trust

There are places in the community you can get help from if you don’t feel comfortable speaking to an adult you know. The best place to turn to depends on if:

you’re worried about yourself or another young person you know.
or you’re worried about all children in Australia.

I’m worried about myself or another child I know

You can chat to these services for free, and what you say is private. You don’t even have to tell them your name if you don’t want to.

You can talk to them about anything—no matter how big or small it seems.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800, or use their webchat.
Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text them on 0477 13 11 14, or chat to them online.
Headspace: Call 1800 650 890.

Make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission

You can make a complaint to us for different reasons. For example, if you think:

you have been treated unfairly because of your age, race, disability or sex.
other rights, like your right to be heard or be safe, have been ignored.

We can investigate and try to help solve it. Making a complaint is free and open to anyone anywhere in Australia. Find out more about how to make a complaint.

Get involved

There are lots of ways you can stand up for children's rights:

learn about human rights on this website or do an online course.
join a group like a young people's advisory group.
talk about human rights at your school.

Let the healing begin

Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd; Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson; the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin; former Prime Ministers, Professor Bruce Wilson representing the late Sir Ronald Wilson, Stolen Generations patrons Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue and Bobby Randall, NSDC Chair Helen Moran and SGA Chair Christine King, Ministers; Members of Parliament; Senators, members of the stolen generations and your families; my Indigenous brothers and sisters; and distinguished guests from around Australia and overseas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

NSW Teachers Federation Council Meeting (2010)

With respect and gratitude I acknowledge that we sit on the lands of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation, and I thank the Traditional Owners for allowing us to do so.

Age Discrimination

Building a better cultural inheritance for an ageing Australia

Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO Age Discrimination Commissioner Keynote Address to National Press Club of Australia, Canberra Wednesday, 28 June, 2023 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Welcome Thank you Andrew Tillett (National Press Club Vice President) for your kind introduction. I am sometimes introduced...

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

‘Partnership builds success’ An Indigenous perspective of educational partnerships (2009)

I would like to acknowledge the Kaurna People, the traditional owners and custodians of the Adelaide Plains and pay my respects to their elders past and present. Thank you Uncle Lewis O’Brien for your warm and generous welcome.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Role of social workers as human rights workers with Indigenous people

Thank you to the Australian Catholic University for inviting me to speak today. As you no doubt know, I am a social worker by training , graduating in 1978, so it is wonderful to have an opportunity to address you. It is great to see so many upcoming social workers here today, as well as a number of you who have a wealth of experience and do so much good in our communities. It’s a tough job at the coal face. One that you often do in difficult circumstances, with little support, not to mention little money!

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice