Rights and Freedoms
Thank you to the Lyceum Club for inviting me to speak, and to Christine Yeats and Judith White for your warm introduction. I recall that for my late mother, Dr Amy McGrath OAM, the revival of the Sydney Lyceum Club was very special. In sorting through papers of my parents, following the passing of...
Rights and Freedoms
As I reflect on the past two years, it is clear that the pandemic has brought a renewed national focus on the importance of centralising considering rights and freedoms during times of crisis — a greater ‘rights consciousness’.
Rights and Freedoms
OPINION There is almost 13,000km between Australia and Ukraine. It is literally on the other side of the world. Given the vast distances that separate us, it would be easy to claim that what happens there has nothing to do with us. That Australia should focus instead on the many challenges...
Rights and Freedoms
Novak Djokovic’s recent detention at Melbourne’s Park Hotel drew international attention to Australia’s use of hotels as Alternative Places of Detention by immigration authorities. But while Djokovic’s detention was measured in days, others still remaining in the Park Hotel measure their detention...
Rights and Freedoms
OPINION With the McGowan Government announcing earlier this week that the Western Australian hard border will ease on February 5, 2022, Australia is inching ever closer to border closures becoming a thing of the past. But while many of us would like this to be true, it is important to realise...
Rights and Freedoms
Lorraine Finlay has commenced her term as Human Rights Commissioner. Commissioner Finlay, whose appointment was announced in September, said she was looking forward to working to protect and promote human rights and freedoms with her colleagues at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Rights and Freedoms
OPINION November 18, 2021 Ronald Reagan famously said that “freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction”. For many Australians, until recently, freedom has been something we have largely been able to take for granted in our daily lives. But with...
Rights and Freedoms
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the Government’s decision to fill the role of Human Rights Commissioner, a role which is a foundational one to the Commission.
Rights and Freedoms
The Australian Human Rights Commission has welcomed the release of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Inquiry report on the ParentsNext program. The report, ParentsNext: examination of Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements – class of persons) Instrument...
Rights and Freedoms
The Government should appoint an independent reviewer to examine the basis for the continued detention of people who have been in immigration detention for prolonged periods, including a detailed assessment of any risk they pose to the community, the President of the Australian Human Rights...
