Skip to main content

Search

Browse News

Rights and Freedoms

Free speech is best medicine for the bigotry disease

THE proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act provide the basis for correcting the legal limits of free speech, ­promoting pluralism, opposing reprehensible racism and highlighting the importance of ­responsibility. Arguably the most important change is assessing an 18C violation based on...

Category, Opinion
Race Discrimination

Free thinking?

Many say freedom of expression means nothing if it doesn’t entail a freedom to offend others. Enjoying such freedom means that you may also have to tolerate hurtful or distasteful speech. But what if the burden of tolerance is not borne equally? What if some forms of speech wound not merely...

Category, Opinion
Children's Rights

Young people seeking asylum – protecting their rights in Australia

Young people seeking asylum – protecting their rights in Australia Practitioners Workshop, ‘Improving Services for Unaccompanied Minors & Young People Seeking Asylum’ CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY 1. Acknowledgments Thank you, Pino, for your introduction. Thank you also to Australian Red Cross for the...

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

NSW Tenants’ Union Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Program

Today I would like to extend the way you may view your work and some of the tools available to you. The Tenants Union is part of a long tradition of fighting for housing justice, as I understand, going all the way back to 1910. What I want to add to this robust tradition is a human rights approach.

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Vulnerable children at the boundary of the criminal justice system

Keynote address at the Jesuit Social Services National Justice Symposium Pushing the boundaries: rethinking the limits of children’s involvement in the criminal justice system. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY 1. Acknowledgments Thank you, Father Frank Brenan, for your kind introduction. I also thank the...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Social Inclusion and Human Rights in Australia

Chain Reaction Foundation Breakfast Cafe KPMG Level 15, 10 Shelley Street, SydneyTuesday 20 August 20137:45am (Check against delivery) Social Inclusion and Human Rights in Australia I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land upon which we...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Address to the Annual Coalition Meeting

Families Australia Annual Coalition Meeting CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Time of event: 8:30am Time of speech: 10:15-10:40amChair: Brian BabingtonOther speakers: No other speakers – keynoteLength of speech: 30 minutesContact on the day: Stella Conroy 0422 384 000 1. Acknowledgments Slide 1 – Opening It’s...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Listening to children and young people from refugee backgrounds

Refugee Youth In Focus:National Forum on young people from refugee backgrounds CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Acknowledgments Thank you, Carmel. I would like to thank Carmel, Nadine Liddy, and the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) Australia for inviting me to speak at as part of the plenary...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Freedom of Speech and giving offence: can a balance be struck?

Annual Kirby Lecture on International law: ANZSIL 2013 Thursday 4 July 20136:30 pm Finkel Theatre, John Curtin School of Medical Research,Garran Rd, Australian National University (Check against delivery) Freedom of Speech and giving offence: can a balance be struck? I was especially pleased to be...

Category, Speech
Race Discrimination

Launch of the National Anti Racism Strategy (2012)

Racism is a curb on our potential, and on our full humanity. It holds us back; it slows us down, and stops us bringing our best to the table. Let’s not shirk from this one, then. Let’s use our talents not only to call racism when we see it, but to envisage a nation beyond it – one confident enough to own its challenges; one capable enough to meet them, one fortunate enough to share in the results.

Category, Speech
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.

Category, Speech
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.

Category, Speech

Follow us on social media

We engage in social media to promote discussion and debate on human rights issues.

Media centre

Visit our media centre for up to date contact details for all media enquiries.

Learn More