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14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Annual Report 2003-2004 : Chapter 2: Human rights education and promotion
A central function of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is to undertake education programs that increase public awareness and generate discussion of human rights and anti-discrimination issues within Australia. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
14 December 2012Opinion pieceAct closed wounds but not the gap (2009)
In 1994, phone numbers had seven digits, we listened to Crowded House, and it was legal to own a semi-automatic rifle. Mother And Son and A Country Practice disappeared from television screens, and The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert and Muriel's Wedding showed off our magnificent country and sense of humour while touching on tough issues such as marginalisation, sexuality and racism. -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageNotice of temporary exemption application: Airport Direct (2005)
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has received an application from Mr D.Williams for a temporary exemption under section 55 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) from relevant provisions of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) and the DDAto permit deferral of provision of wheelchair access on a public transport service to be known as Airport Direct… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 December 2012Opinion pieceOpinion Pieces - Scrutinising our counter-terrorism laws (2008)
In 2006, I was a member of the Government-appointed Sheller Committee, which recommended the establishment of an independent review of counter-terrorism laws. -
Race Discrimination
14 December 2012Opinion pieceFreedom of speech should not trump the right to safety (2012)
Many people will be familiar with the recent “Aboriginal memes” page on a popular social media site, in which images of Aboriginal people were published with highly derogatory captions. -
31 January 2013Webpage
2011 Human Rights Medal and Awards Winners
2011 Finalists Human rights medal (sponsored by rio tinto) Ron Merkel QC For 40 years, Ron Merkel has devoted himself to access to justice for people who are marginalised and disadvantaged, having a long and outstanding commitment to the promotion and advancement of human rights as a legal practitioner. He is widely recognised as one of Australia's leading public and administrative law -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
30 January 2014Opinion piece
We need to fix the Constitution, says Social Justice Commissioner
Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the nation’s Constitution is a waste of time, 2UE Drive host Justin Smith recently argued. There are many things the Constitution doesn’t recognise, he said, the document is dull, and we would be better off if we paid attention instead to the words we use every day. I agree with Mr Smith on one point: the Constitution isn’t a page… -
14 December 2012Book page
National consultations on eliminating prejudice
The consultation was organised by the Illawarra Ethnic Communities Council and chaired by the ECC Executive Officer, Kathy Tzanis. The meeting was facilitated by Meredith Wilkie and Omeima Sukkarieh (notes) from HREOC with Omeima also interpreting parts of the discussion. It was attended by 14 invited participants. -
Disability Rights
14 December 2012SpeechRecognition matters: Human rights and the rights of carers
For thousands of years, Aboriginal groups, who might spend much of their time living far apart in the expanses of this land, pursuing separately the business of survival, would come together at times to meet, to trade, sometimes to resolve differences, but also to exchange knowledge for mutual benefit. -
Commission – General
14 December 2012PublicationHREOC Annual Report 2003-2004 : Contents : Significant achievements : Statement from the President : Organisational Chart
It is now just over one year since I took up my appointment as President of the Commission. During this time, the world's attention has been focussed on the international terrorist threat and how governments, including our own, can contain and counter that threat. In Australia, the Commission has been mindful of the fact that any counter-terrorism measures must be enacted and administered in… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 October 2014Opinion piece
Speak up out of respect for rights and culture
To advance human rights we need to promote a culture of respect for everyone exercising their choice and freedoms. On a day-to-day basis, human rights probably appear abstract for most Australians. The term often gets raised in discussion about how we are treating asylum seekers, or when we discuss disadvantage in the community. It is common for people to say "I have a right to" one thing,… -
26 March 2014Book page
Chapter 3: Overview of implementation of ADF Review recommendations
The ADF Review contained 21 recommendations. The Chiefs of Service Committee (COSC) agreed to 15 of these, with the further six agreed ‘in principle’. The Chief of the Defence Force stated that ‘in principle’ agreement indicates that the COSC unanimously agreed to the concept and intent of the recommendations, but practical implementation considerations require that a more detailed… -
14 December 2012Book page
Close the Gap - Part 1 Background
We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have not shared in the health gains enjoyed by other Australians in the last 100 years. It is a national scandal that Indigenous Australians live 17 years less than other Australians. Indigenous Australians continue to needlessly suffer and die early, not from a lack of solutions or government commitments… -
14 December 2012Book page
Commemorate Human Rights Day: Activity sheet 2 - rightsED
Some of these principles relate to civil and political rights which defend the fundamental right to life, and states that no one can be tortured, enslaved, arbitrarily imprisoned, made to do forced labour, or be restricted from such basic freedoms as movement, expression and association. Such principles are stated in negative terms such as ‘freedom from’ (discrimination, torture etc). -
14 December 2012Book page
A last resort? - Summary Guide: Children with Disabilities
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is very clear that extra efforts must be taken to provide children with disabilities with the support they need to enjoy a 'full and decent life'. -
14 December 2012Book page
RightsED: Child Rights - Activity sheet: Rights and wants 2
Write down next to each statement the people that are responsible for protecting each of the rights. For example: is it you, your parents, your teacher, the police or perhaps the government? -
14 December 2012Book page
Highlights of the year - Annual Report 2011-2012: Australian Human Rights Commission
During 2011-12, we provided information about the law and the complaint process to 17,047 enquirers. We received 2610 complaints alleging discrimination and violations of human rights and we finalised 2605 complaints. We conciliated 48% of finalised complaints, which means that we assisted over 2500 people and organisations involved in complaints to successfully resolve their dispute. -
14 December 2012Book page
3 Theme One - Economic Independence for Women: Listening Tour Report
I'm a mother who has been out of the paid workforce for two years and will probably be for the next 4 years, until my children are ready for pre-school. My return to work will probably be on a part-time basis and I will probably have to re-start my career after so many years out so I don't expect that I will earn very much. I never thought this would be the case - I studied for many years, earned… -
Disability Rights
14 December 2012Webpage
Disability Discrimination Act Action Plans: A Guide for Business
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) is a piece of Commonwealth legislation which creates a new context for service provision. The Act requires that people with disabilities be given equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to the full range of economic, social, cultural and political activities. Access for people with disabilities, including access to the goods, services and… -
Disability Rights
1 December 2017Publication
Working towards Equality for People with Disability
In 2016 – 2017, Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Alastair McEwin, spoke to many people with disability about their lives and the changes they need. Based on what he was told, this document outlines the big issues the Commissioner will focus on to improve the lives of people with disability over the next four years.