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We must work together to address the scourge of racism. The Director-General of ASIO, Mike Burgess, said in Parliament last week that “in terms of threats to life” antisemitism is ASIO’s top priority. He said he believed it was the first time a form of racism was the agency’s highest priority. The assessment underscored the intensification and severity of the attacks against the Jewish…

Dear friends, Without truth there can be no justice. On Tuesday, the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s remarkable four-year journey ended with the publication of its final reports and public record. Yoorrook was the first formal truth-telling inquiry into injustices against First Peoples in Victoria. Led by four First Peoples Commissioners and a non-Indigenous Commissioner, it changed Victoria…

The Australian Human Rights Commission is a vital national institution which has been promoting justice and human rights for Australians for close to forty years. It is an honour to write to you as the Commission’s new President.

Commission News May 2020 Commissioner update COVID-19 Dear friends, As we come to grips with a new way of living (at least for now), we are reminded of how fortunate we are to be living in Australia. Measures to control COVID-19 appear to have been relatively successful—particularly in comparison with other first world nations. But it has not been without significant sacrifices. The impact…

We must end the practice of police investigating police deaths in custody Two recent Aboriginal deaths in custody in the Northern Territory have again raised questions about the treatment of First Nations people in Australia’s criminal justice systems. Kumanjayi White, a 24 year-old Warlpiri man with disability, died in Alice Springs on 27 May after being restrained by police on the floor of…

Commission News June 2020 Commissioner update COVID-19 Dear friends, The last few weeks have seen a gradual return to some of our pre-pandemic freedoms in many parts of Australia. While physical distancing remains a vital element to maintaining low infection rates, it is clear that we welcome the opportunity to visit loved ones, travel and socialise. The Lucky Country, a term used favourably…

Support for Anti-Racism Framework In a report published in February, the Senate inquiry on ‘issues facing diaspora communities’ recommended funding the development of a comprehensive national anti-racism framework and to consider resourcing the Race Discrimination Commissioner to reinvigorate the existing National Anti-Racism Strategy. Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan spoke to Nine …

Cost of living issues are human rights issues Someone said to me just before election day that human rights hadn’t featured much in the federal election campaign. It’s true that the words “human rights” didn’t feature much - but human rights issues did. This was an election about the cost of living in Australia and human rights has a lot to say about that. Australia has promised to protect…

The vital global role of National Human Rights Institutions Many people who are familiar with the Australian Human Rights Commission are less familiar with the global context in which we operate. The Commission is Australia’s national human rights institution (NHRI) and one of 118 NRHIs globally. NHRIs play a vital role promoting and protecting the human rights of all people in their…

UN decisions confirm Australia's human rights obligations to refugees and people seeking asylum sent offshore The Refugee Convention is the international community’s commitment to work together to protect people fleeing violence and persecution. When Australia agreed to be bound by the Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, we agreed to protect refugees who came to our country seeking…

Eye opening video on elder abuse What does elder abuse look like? It may be physical, financial or psychological, but many Australians do not see the abuse that older people sometimes suffer. Last week, on International Day of Older Persons, Age Discrimination Commissioner Dr Kay Patterson launched a campaign centred on a hard-hitting video that identifies the “red flags” of elder abuse to…