Freedom of speech is not in danger in Australia (2013)
Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race.
Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race.
Speech delivered to the United Nations Association of Australia (WA Division)
Speech delivered to the Anglo-Australasian Lawyers Society
Alan used to work as a civil engineer, and is a trombone player with two orchestras and two bands. He has competed in the Australian Band Championships for the last three years. He sold his soils laboratory to 'retire', and has never looked back. He still works part-time in soil testing, but as well as trombone playing he is a volunteer in a Rotary shop, walks 30-40 kilometers weekly, won a silver medal in the 10 km Road Race in the Australian Masters Games 2012, and completed a novel for pre-teens called 'Alex', designed to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles.
Australia became a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. The rest of the world refers to it by the unappealing acronym of CRPD, or the Disability Convention, but I like to refer to it as the Disco. It's catchy, and it creates a great image for me of people with disability dancing, and being to go anywhere they want - although I haven't been inside a disco for many a long year.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people of the Cairns region on whose land we gather today. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
Thank you Peter for your kind words of introduction and thank you Krystelle (Jordan) for your welcome to country. Krystelle, can I begin by acknowledging and paying my respects to the your people, the traditional owners of this place upon which we sit and talk here tonight. I honour your Elders that have come before us, those Elders who are here tonight and I await in optimistic anticipation of those Elders, like you, who are yet to emerge. My people are the Gangulu from the Dawson Valley in Central Queensland.
Amnesty International conference: Human rights challenges and opportunities in the 21st century Brisbane 6 October 2011 Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner
Chancellor, Professor Peter Shergold AC, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and Development, Professor John Ingleson, academic staff, senior University management, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and importantly, graduands.
I would like to begin this evening by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Awabakal People. I pay my respects to their elders past and present.
The Australian Human Rights Commission Act tells us that the Commission's functions should be performed "efficiently and with the greatest possible benefit to the people of Australia". That is also a good summary of the goals of the Department of Finance, in public expenditure, public administration and policy and regulation.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Larrakia peoples. I pay my respects to their elders both past and present.
Thank you Indira - and thank you Michael for your welcome to country. On behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission, I acknowledge the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation and pay our respects their elders past and present.
First, may I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present.
I would like to begin today by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Wurundjeri peoples, and pay my respect to their elders, past and present.
Visit our media centre for up to date contact details for all media enquiries.