The Australian Human Rights Commission makes this submission to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee for its inquiry into the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021.
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the opportunity to participate in the National Summit for Women’s Safety and to contribute to the development of Australia’s second National Plan on the Prevention of Violence against Women and their Children. Violence is a human rights issue that needs urgent and coordinated action.
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan has launched a plan to establish a National Anti-Racism Framework and has called on the Federal Government to support and implement it.
Commissioner Tan released a concept paper detailing key components that need to be included in the Framework and will soon commence a series of roundtables with peak anti-racism organisations to progress the plan.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected Australia’s diverse communities.
From the racial targeting of Asian Australians to the hard lockdown imposed on residents in Melbourne’s public housing towers, the pandemic has also raised questions about the place of diverse communities in Australian society.
In an ongoing effort to ensure that basketball is a truly inclusive sport, Basketball Australia has engaged the Australian Human Rights Commission to undertake a Racial Equality Review.
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan and Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow have commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attack.
In a joint statement, they said: “The Christchurch massacre was deeply traumatic for New Zealand’s Muslim community. That trauma has echoed throughout the Muslim community in Australia and internationally.”
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Chin Tan has urged all Australians to remain calm, show consideration and unite as a community in response to the Coronavirus crisis:
“Reports of racial discrimination against Chinese people in our community are disappointing. They hurt both the Chinese community and our collective community wellbeing at a time when we should be united and supportive in confronting this crisis.
