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Sex Discrimination

Effective access to services: What does it mean for sexual assault?

Effective access to services: What does it mean for sexual assault? Elizabeth Broderick Sex Discrimination CommissionerAustralian Human Rights Commission Canberra Rape Crisis Centre Gala Fundraising Lunch 10 November 2011 Acknowledgments Thank you, Suzanne, for that generous introduction and warm...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Henry Parkes Primary Schools Citizenship Convention

For those of you unfamiliar with Australia’s Human Rights Commission, it’s an independent government body that protects and promotes human rights. My role as Human Rights Commissioner is to check that human rights in Australia are being respected including the human rights of children and young people.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Diversity in Health 2003: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM

Conference Convenors and Co-directors, distinguished guests from both Australia and overseas, ladies and gentlemen, all. I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and by so doing remind ourselves that Australia’s cultural traditions stretch back many thousands of years.

Category, Speech
Commission – General

President Speech: Flinders University Law School Prize Giving Ceremony 2010

I am honoured to have been invited to address you this evening on this beautiful campus of the Flinders University of South Australia. Let me begin my address by recalling that, long before the establishment of this prestigious place of learning in the European tradition, there was learning of another tradition here; the learning of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains.I would like to acknowledge the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respect to their elders, past and present.

Category, Speech
Commission – General

Creating Fairness and Equality in the Workplace

It is now 12 months since the introduction of WorkChoices radically restructured Australia’s industrial relations system. Today, I propose to reflect on the implications of WorkChoices for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and to outline reforms HREOC believes are necessary to safeguard fairness and equality in the workplace.

Category, Speech
Commission – General

125th anniversary of the Law Society of South Australia.

Today, on its 125th anniversary, we celebrate the very considerable achievements of the Law Society of South Australia. This is an occasion to reflect on these past successes, to consider their present significance, and to think about the future.

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Social Justice Report 2009 and the Native Title Report 2009 Launch

Good morning, I would like to begin by paying my respects to the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land where we gather today. I pay my respects to your elders past and present. And thank you, Allen Madden, for your generous and warm welcome to country for all of us here at Redfern today.

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Role of social workers as human rights workers with Indigenous people

Thank you to the Australian Catholic University for inviting me to speak today. As you no doubt know, I am a social worker by training , graduating in 1978, so it is wonderful to have an opportunity to address you. It is great to see so many upcoming social workers here today, as well as a number of you who have a wealth of experience and do so much good in our communities. It’s a tough job at the coal face. One that you often do in difficult circumstances, with little support, not to mention little money!

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

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I would also like to thank the Law Council of Australia and its Advisory Committee on Indigenous Legal Issues for inviting me to deliver this address, and to take part in the customary law panel discussion later today.

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Launch of the Social Justice Report 2003 and Native Title Report 2003

I am speaking on behalf of Dr William Jonas, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. Dr Jonas is unable to be here today, with doctors having advised him he is not able to fly at this time due to a recurring illness. Dr Jonas sends his apologies and has asked that I deliver this speech on his behalf. He has asked me to express to you his appreciation for attending today and to thank Parry Agius and Lowitja O'Donoghue for agreeing to speak at this launch.

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Good house, good clinic and being able to buy a feed

Mick Dodson, the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner said in his First Report that "A decent standard of health and a life expectancy equivalent to others is an entitlement. Social justice is not primarily a matter of the relief of suffering. It is a matter of the fulfilment of a responsibility. To draw this distinction is not to deny that the facts by themselves speak out for a remedy. Nor is it to deny that compassion is a proper response. But compassion is an insufficient foundation for the delivery of rights".

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Disability action plans

Over the past 10 years I have been involved in developing resources and providing informal assistance to organisations developing Action Plans throughout Australia. This has included assisting in the preparation of the initial guides to developing action plans produced in 1995 and the subsequent publication Developing an Effective Action Plan produced in 1999 both of which can be found on our website at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/action_plans/index.html

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

DDA Standards and Regulation Impact Statements: Context and Process

Much of my mis-spent youth involved listening to rock bands. At that time the internet hardly existed, as opposed to the ubiquitous role it now plays in our lives. That's a shame for many reasons, one of them being that had it done so, I could have justified my time by contributing to www.kissthisguy.com . This is a site which lists what people thought were the words of rock songs, and then what they actually are.

Category, Speech
Sex Discrimination

Is poverty to be the reward for a life spent caring?

I would like to start by acknowledging that we are here today on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to their elders past and present. I have had the great honour of meeting many inspirational Indigenous women in my role – their energy, courage and determination leaves me in awe.

Category, Speech

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