Commission – General
What sort of Australia do we want to live in? I'm quite sure most people, like me, would say they want to live in a society where respect for the individual is recognised as precious. Where everyone is valued, whether they are male or female, young or old, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, whatever their faith, whether or not they have a disability - everyone.
Rights and Freedoms
People often ask me why I feel so strongly about human rights. Perhaps it is fate - both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and I were born 60 years ago. But I think it is simpler than that - I want to feel proud of the Australia that I live in.
Sex Discrimination
It would be a baffling about face. In a business climate that calls for decisions that will provide our country with some form of economic certainty and optimism, paid maternity leave is precisely a policy for our times. Not only will it improve national productivity and market competitiveness over the long term by ensuring women remain attached to the workplace, it will support these strong economic outcomes with a strong social dimension.
Sex Discrimination
Tough economic times call for tough business decisions. Decisions made now to strengthen our country’s productivity and market competitiveness will be among the most important of our time. This is precisely the reason why we must stay committed to introducing a government-funded scheme of paid maternity leave.
Rights and Freedoms
In 2006, I was a member of the Government-appointed Sheller Committee, which recommended the establishment of an independent review of counter-terrorism laws.
Rights and Freedoms
Five years ago I began my term as the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, confident in the ability of the common law and a robust democracy to protect human rights. I leave convinced we need a major legal and cultural overhaul in order to deal with the human rights challenges of the 21st century.
Sex Discrimination
We’re not short on pockets of ignorance – with workplaces that put older workers out to pasture and recruitment agencies which disregard anyone over 45 years of age. They’re selling their clients short, not to mention the potential unlawfulness of this.
LGBTIQ+
The Coalition’s decision to send the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws – Superannuation) Bill 2008 - solely devoted to ending discrimination against same sex couples in superannuation laws - to a Senate Inquiry, is extremely misguided.
Rights and Freedoms
The new century has thrown up enormous challenges, as well as breathtaking opportunities to us all. One such challenge is the protection of human rights.
Rights and Freedoms
As the Government points out on its Australia 2020 Summit website, the new century has thrown up enormous challenges, as well as breathtaking opportunities to us all.
Sex Discrimination
That report provides more evidence of what many people around the country have been saying for years -- that trying to balance paid work and family responsibilities in knowledge businesses is hard. Incredibly hard.
Sex Discrimination
IT IS NOT that often that the Australian Industry Group, the ACTU and the federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner agree on something, but we all support the need for a national, government-funded scheme of paid maternity leave.
Sex Discrimination
Given that paid maternity leave has been on the public policy agenda for over three decades, the struggle for a universal paid maternity leave scheme can only be described as a protracted labour.
Sex Discrimination
When I started in my new role as Sex DiscriminationCommissioner at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission last year, I thought I had a pretty good idea of the issues I would face. But I will be frank in saying that I am genuinely shocked by just how pervasive sexual harassment seems to be. I had thought, ''Who doesn't know these days that this behaviour is wrong and unlawful?'' Well, clearly many don't.
Rights and Freedoms
This is an often depressing tour that we at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) undertake every year to monitor the conditions of immigration detention in Australia for compliance with internationally recognised human rights obligations. We tour and inspect the facilities, interview the staff and meet with the detainees themselves.
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