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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
4 August 2023Webpage
Self-determination and Indigenous peoples
Self-determination is an ongoing process of ensuring that peoples are able to make decisions about matters that affect their lives. Essential to the exercise of self-determination is choice, participation and control. The outcomes of self-determining processes must correspond to the free and voluntary choice of the people concerned, including in relation to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament… -
Sex Discrimination
19 March 2024Project
Speaking from Experience Project
The Australian Human Rights Commission has launched Speaking from Experience, landmark project that centres the voices of people with lived experience in workplace sexual harassment reform. -
Disability Rights
26 September 2023Media ReleaseCommissioners ‘appalled’ following Four Corners episode on abusive disability ‘therapy’
Two of Australia’s human rights leaders have expressed grave concerns in the wake of shocking videos broadcast on ABC’s Four Corners program, which showed children with intellectual disabilities being repeatedly restrained as part of a radical treatment funded by the NDIS. The episode highlighted the controversial and abusive practices at Irabina Autism Services in Melbourne, between 2019… -
Commission – General
27 August 2024WebpageSpeeches, statements and articles by Hugh de Kretser
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
27 March 2024Media Release
Commissioner June Oscar welcomes Institute funding
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar welcomed the Commonwealth’s funding of the new Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute for First Nations Gender Justice at the Australian National University. The Institute is the first of its kind in the world and will bring together First Nations researchers to develop and design initiatives to improve outcomes for… -
Race Discrimination
6 December 2022Media ReleaseNew report lays foundations for Australia’s first National Anti-Racism Framework
The report identifies data collection and education on racism, and cultural safety as key themes. It also identifies media regulation, standards, and legal protections as priority areas for action. -
Rights and Freedoms
18 March 2022Opinion pieceWhat is happening in Ukraine should matter to every Australian
OPINION There is almost 13,000km between Australia and Ukraine. It is literally on the other side of the world. Given the vast distances that separate us, it would be easy to claim that what happens there has nothing to do with us. That Australia should focus instead on the many challenges we face at home and leave the rest of the world to deal with their own problems. That would be a grave … -
Commission – General
14 December 2022Speech
2022 Human Rights Day Oration by Larissa Behrendt
"No More Just Tinkering at the Edges" Human Rights Day Oration by Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO 9 December 2022 I pay my respects to the Gadigal and the Elders who have kept knowledge on this country and shared so generously this unceded land. Before I start, I would like to thank the Commission for the honour of the 2021 Human Rights Medal. The award reflects a long-term… -
Legal
1 December 2022Media ReleaseArtificial intelligence and anti-discrimination: Major new publication
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Actuaries Institute (Institute) today said while artificial intelligence (AI) promises faster and smarter decision making, safeguards are needed to prevent potential discrimination. -
Disability Rights
22 November 2019Speech
Speech to National Labor Disability Summit
Dr Ben Gauntlett National Labor Disability Summit Melbourne November 1, 2019 Good disability policy benefits all Australians. When we think of disability policy, it is not “us” and “them”, it is "we", we the people of Australia need good disability policy because it reflects our values of diversity and inclusion. It reflects our human rights obligations and there are critical economic… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
19 August 2022Speech
Mabo at 30 – Boodjar: Boorda The Piddington Society
Jalangurru lanygu balangarri. Yaningi Yatharra ngindaji muwayi indirranggu, Noongar yani U. I acknowledge all the countries we gather on today. My deepest respects to all our elder’s past, present and emerging. I would also like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of Mr Eddie Koiki Mabo and his co-claimants Reverend David Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice and Celuia Mapo Salee… -
Commission – General
15 September 2021Speech
Human Rights Day Oration 2020: Rosemary Kayess and Nas Campanella
The 2020 Human Rights Day Oration was delivered by leading disability rights advocate Rosemary Kayess, winner of the 2019 Human Rights Medal, and a contributor to the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Ms Kayess discussed the social transformation of CRPD and the impact it has had on the community as well as her work with the Disability Royal -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
13 September 2022Media Release
First Nations women to take leading role in addressing family and community violence
An important gathering of First Nations women – including specialist experts, researchers, frontline workers and women with lived experience of violence – has called on governments across Australia to ensure First Nations women lead all future efforts to prevent violence against First Nations women and children. On Monday the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Women’s Safety Policy Forum was held online,… -
Disability Rights
19 July 2019Speech
The critical task of changing community attitudes towards disability
The following speech was an opening presentation delivered by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Ben Gauntlett at a workshop on community attitudes towards people with disability convened by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disability, held in Melbourne on June 28, 2019. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I too acknowledge my deep respect to the … -
Commission – General
15 March 2024Speech
Australian Human Rights Commission’s complaint handling jurisdiction
Civil Justice Research Conference 2019 Macquarie University, Sydney Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM [ Professor Croucher spoke to this paper] Abstract The complaint handling role of the Australian Human Rights Commission from time to time attracts some attention in the media—but not always for constructive reasons. This presentation set out the real story. It is one that is a worthy… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
2 April 2024Media Release
Katie Kiss commences as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
Australia’s new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, said in the wake of the devastating outcome of last year’s Voice referendum, Australia must consider the next steps, and prioritise finding ways to heal and soothe divisions. This includes making meaningful progress in addressing the systemic and structural discrimination experienced by First… -
Disability Rights
29 October 2019Speech
Inclusive education: Why silence and inaction is not the answer
DR BEN GAUNTLETT DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION COMMISSIONER AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION QUEEN VICTORIA WOMEN'S CENTRE, MELBOURNE 28 OCTOBER 2019 Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I acknowledge my deep respect to the traditional owners of the land on which the Queen Victoria’s Women Centre is situated, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. I pay respect to their Elders past … -
Race Discrimination
6 October 2023Opinion piece
Whatever the voice vote’s result, Australia has a racism problem we must tackle
Read Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan's op-ed, published in The Guardian Australia. "Australia will, fundamentally, be changed on 14 October. However the cards fall in the voice referendum, one thing is for sure: our next urgent national priority is tackling racism." -
Children's Rights
20 November 2023Publication
Scoping project for National Child and Family Investment Strategy
In this report, the National Children’s Commissioner makes 18 recommendations about how the National Child and Family Investment Strategy should work. -
Technology and Human Rights
19 December 2023SpeechHuman Rights in AI-powered Immersive Worlds
Read Commissioner Finlay's speech at Metaverse Safety Week 2023 about the importance of human rights and technology.