News

Disability Rights

Speech - iPhone or Trombone: Age or Disability Don't Have to be Barriers (2012)

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.

2 October, 2012

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

2012 Southgate Oration

Uncle Lewis, on behalf of my Elders I pass on our respects to your Elders, both past and present, for their continued struggle for their country and their culture.

27 September, 2012

Disability Rights

Speech -Keynote Address for Suncorp and PWC’s Traumatic Injury & Disability Insurance Summit (2012)

I'm a proud Australian. We live in a great democracy, with one of the strongest economies in the world. I'm not proud, though, of how we treat Australians with disability- some of our most disadvantaged citizens. And we are all ashamed that, in such a strong nation, that treatment continues. This shame can no longer continue. So let's fix the system. Let's have an NDIS so that not some, but every Australian counts. Thanks for the chance to speak with you today.

14 September, 2012

Disability Rights

Speech - Launch of the Civil Society Shadow Report (2012)

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.

29 August, 2012

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Mental illness and cognitive disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners – a human rights approach (2012)

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.

23 August, 2012

Commission – General

Launch of An age of uncertainty (2012)

I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the Traditional Owners of the land upon which we gather today. I pay my respects to your elders past, present and future.

27 July, 2012

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

NSW Teachers Federation Annual Conference (2012)

I would like to begin by acknowledging that we sit on the lands of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation, and I thank the Traditional Owners for allowing us to do so.

1 July, 2012

Commission – General

Rights, hearts and minds: Towards a national culture of Human Rights (2012)

I wish to start this evening by acknowledging the Kaurna people of the Adelaide plains. On behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission, I pay my respects to their elders past and present and extend a special welcome to any member of the Kaurna people present at this event held on their traditional lands.

14 June, 2012

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Solidarity is key to a reconciled Australia (2012)

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.

3 June, 2012

Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Security rethink can protect refugee rights (2012)

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.

18 May, 2012

Commission – General

Applying Human Rights in Closed Environments: Practical Observations on Monitoring and Oversight (2012)

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and I pay my respects to their elders past and present.

21 February, 2012

Disability Rights

National Year of Reading 2012

For parents who are blind or have low vision like me, though, there was often a little complaint “Dad, your braille-reading hands are covering the pictures”.

14 February, 2012

Race Discrimination

Mental Health Impacts of Racial Discrimination in Victoria

Good afternoon and thank you for being here for the launch of the Mental Health Impacts of Racial Discrimination in Victorian Aboriginal Communities Report. And I am proud to be launching this Report on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and I pay my respect to elders both past and present.

14 January, 2012

Age Discrimination

Tackling Age Discrimination in the Labour Market: the role of the Australian Human Rights Commission (2011)

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.

13 December, 2011

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Launch of the 2011 Social Justice and Native Title Reports (2011)

It is with respect and gratitude that I acknowledge that we sit today on the lands of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation. Thank you to Michael West for your generous welcome to country on behalf of the Gadigal people.

25 November, 2011