Age Discrimination
I start by acknowledging the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, the traditional owners of the land upon which we meet. I pay my respects to their elders, both past and present.
Disability Rights
RITA KUSEVSKIS-HAYES: Good morning, everybody. If I can ask everyone to take their seats. Good morning, everybody. My name is Rita Kusevskis-Hayes, and I would like to welcome you on behalf of the 2011 Careers Forum Organising Committee to the University of New South Wales.
Disability Rights
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.
Age Discrimination
But first let me acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my deepest respects to their elders both past and present.
Disability Rights
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.
Disability Rights
It's true of almost everything in life - clothes, relationships, jobs, etc … one size does not fit all.
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.
Commission – General
In the age of globalisation there has been a massive increase in international migration and, as the number of international migrants has grown, so too has the problem of irregular migration. Many states have tried to stem irregular migration by introducing new border control measures and tougher criminal sanctions for people smugglers.[1] However, while effective border control is a legitimate objective of all sovereign states, state responses to the issue of irregular migration have often failed to protect the human rights of irregular migrants.[2]
Disability Rights
Allow me to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respects to their elders both past and present.
Sex Discrimination
This paper considers national and international legislative and other provisions regarding equality for women in the labour market. Australia ranks second to Sweden in terms of pay equity. It is argued that over the last two decades of global shifts to labour market decentralism and deregulation, Australian women have fared relatively well. Three fundamental reasons stand out:
Disability Rights
The standard sort of speech that is often delivered by people in my sort of position at this sort of event is a combination of pep talk and pamphlet, with some bits of a law lecture thrown in: telling people with a disability and their advocates that they have rights under discrimination law, and telling employers that they have responsibilities, and attempting to set out the terms and the effect of the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (or "DDA").
Disability Rights
You would be aware that - according to its own reports - employment of people with disability in the APS has almost halved during the last two decades. You would also be aware of the strong public commitment by the Australian government to reduce the high unemployment and under-employment of Australians with disabilities.
Disability Rights
While there were a range of factors that led the Commission to launch the Inquiry, the primary reason is that Australians with disability continue to be less likely to be employed than people without a disability.
Disability Rights
I have to admit that two months ago when I took the title " The Disability Discrimination Act and the continuing battle for equal rights for people with a disability" for my paper today I was not attaching great importance to the precise words of that title.
Rights and Freedoms
I am pleased to be participating in the opening of the Futures Victorian Rural Health Forum. I would also like to thank Neil Roxburgh and the Country AIDS Network (CAN) for inviting me to speak.
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