News

Sex Discrimination

Flexibility the key to a better work environment (2007)

Abattoir slaughter lines and investment banking have more in common than you might imagine. For the predominantly male workers in both industries, there is enormous pressure on men as primary breadwinners. In the former, this is driven by the casualised nature of the work which leads to uncertainty about continuing employment. In the latter, it is the competitive work environment that means career longevity is never assured.

21 December, 2007

LGBTIQ+

Opinion Pieces - It's hard to argue against equality (2007)

Federal laws prohibit discrimination against women, older people, people with disability and people of different races. However, there are 60-plus pieces of federal legislation which specifically deny financial and work-related benefits to same-sex couples.

1 March, 2007

Rights and Freedoms

No need to abandon human rights to be tough on terror (2006)

In the post-September 11 world, debate about counter-terrorism is often characterised as an argument between 'the realists', who appreciate the need for tough new counter-terrorism laws, and 'the out of touch', who fail to take the terrorist threat seriously.

20 September, 2006

Disability Rights

Mental health problem is clear, so is the solution (2005)

THE LAUNCH this week of a new report on Australia 's crumbling mental health system repeats the message that mental health consumers, their carers and their clinicians have been shouting out for years - Australia 's mental health system is in crisis.

21 October, 2005

Rights and Freedoms

Letter to the The Australian from Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM - 6 April 2005

Click here to return to the Articles and Opinion Pieces Index Letter to the The Australian from Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM - 6 April 2005 As an Australian citizen who was born in Poland, the death of Pope John Paul II fills me with two principal emotions. On one hand...

6 April, 2005

Sex Discrimination

Abortion and Sex Education (2004)

There are lots of jokes about how people stop having babies when they find out what causes it, and maybe the abortion debate is that simple. We need to make sure men and women know what causes it so they can decide if that is what they want. This is also known as sex education.

21 November, 2004

Rights and Freedoms

Australia's human rights obligations as part of the "coalition of the willing" (2004)

Media reports and repeated allegations of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in US custody have raised fundamental questions about Australia's human rights obligations as part of the "coalition of the willing" .

21 June, 2004

Rights and Freedoms

A last resort? Children in Immigration Detention (2004)

Four weeks ago today, a report was tabled in Federal Parliament that detailed numerous and repeated breaches of the human rights of children in our detention centres.

10 June, 2004

Sex Discrimination

The Challenges Continue (2004)

You'll be pleased to know that Australians don't think sexual harassment is political correctness gone mad. In those cases where people witness it happening to others, 87 per cent of us do something about it. Actions range from confronting the harasser to comforting the victim - now that's mateship.

24 March, 2004

Commission – General

Excerpt from the 2003 Mitchell Oration to be delivered by John von Doussa, QC (2003)

Plainly, there is no easy solution. There are millions of hearts to be warmed, and what works for some may have little influence on others. There must be many programs, operating on many levels and operating incrementally so as to touch the greatest possible number of people.

23 November, 2003

Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights and the War against Terrorism (2003)

"A system of tyranny, the most galling, the most horrible, the most undisguised in all its parts and attributes that has stained the page of history or disgraced the annals of the world." British Prime Minister William Pitt, 10 November 1797, speech to the House of Commons concerning France under the government of the Directory.

1 November, 2003

Sex Discrimination

Future Challenges (2003)

I was delighted when BRW invited me to become a regular contributor; the interests of women are increasingly bound up in the world of work so you and I should find common interests, if not common causes. What is more, the times have never suited women better; now is a great opportunity for Australia to embrace meritocracy, diversity and with that the opportunity to be an internationally competitive economy.

5 March, 2003

Commission – General

Opinion Pieces Archive

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.

Commission – General

Opinion Pieces / Articles

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.