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Commission – General
9 October 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)October 2024: Commission News | President's message
Dear friends, Australia is one of the safest, most stable and prosperous countries on the planet. For most of us, most of the time, it is a great place to live. For many Australians, human rights violations are things that happen to other people in other places, often overseas. This can lead to complacency about our own rights protection and the importance of protecting the rights of those… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
27 November 2024News storyExplainer: Commission does not support the Migration Amendment Bill
The Australian Government has introduced new migration laws into Parliament to expand search and seizure powers in immigration detention centres. The Commission does not support the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024 -
Commission – General
11 September 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)
September 2024: Commission News | President's Message
Dear friends, It was good to reflect at the recent Law Institute of Victoria Legal Sector Dinner on access to justice, the role of lawyers and the law. Too often our legal system delivers unequal access to justice – different standards of justice depending on who you are, where you live and how much is in your bank account. Laws granting people rights are meaningless if people can’t enforce… -
Commission – General
27 August 2024Webpage
Speeches, statements and articles by Hugh de Kretser
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Race Discrimination
29 October 2024SpeechMedia Diversity Australia Event: Launch of Race Reporting Handbook
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Rights and Freedoms
3 May 2024Opinion pieceWe need debate on sensible limits on free speech
When president Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the 1941 State of the Union address he spoke of four essential human freedoms people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy. The very first of these was freedom of speech and expression. Free speech was listed first because it is the bedrock of democracy. Salman Rushdie famously described it as “the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is… -
Technology and Human Rights
6 May 2024Opinion pieceProtecting Free Speech Doesn’t Mean Dismissing Online Safety
This opinion piece by Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, appeared in The Australian on Monday 29 April 2024. When President Roosevelt gave the 1941 State of the Union Address he spoke of four essential human freedoms that people ‘everywhere in the world’ ought to enjoy. The very first of these was freedom of speech and expression. Free speech was listed first because it is the… -
Race Discrimination
29 October 2024Speech
How to be an anti-racist in the workplace
Diversity and representation in the workplace is important, but not enough to tackle racism alone. In this session, Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, explains an anti-racism approach which confronts the structural racism embedded in workplaces, and allows people of negatively racialised backgrounds to thrive. This event was brought to you by Multicultural… -
Commission – General
4 October 2024Media Release
Commission President reiterates calls for upholding human rights as violence in the Middle East escalates
As the violence in the Middle East escalates, and with the approaching anniversary of the brutal 7 October attacks by Hamas and the start of Israel’s devastating and continuing response, the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission has reiterated its call for upholding human rights and international humanitarian law. -
Race Discrimination
24 October 2024Publication
An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples
Artwork courtesy of First Nations Co. This report serves as a foundational document for the development of a National Anti-Racism Framework. Drawing from extensive consultations with over 496 contributors from city, remote and rural backgrounds. These voices not only highlight the urgent need for action, but also serve as a clarion call for systemic solutions to eradicate racism. The First… -
Commission – General
3 May 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)
May 2024: Commission News | President's letter
Letter from the President: May 2024 It has been a challenging time, with the tragic events at Bondi and Wakeley casting a sombre shadow. It's imperative that we condemn these acts of violence in the strongest possible terms and work together to ensure such tragedies do not occur again. The aftermath of these attacks has sparked heated debate in the media about the right to free speech, and… -
Rights and Freedoms
15 November 2019Opinion piece
Freedom of speech and Annika Smethurst
Opinion piece by Commission President Rosalind Croucher published in the Australian newspaper The raids on the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the offices of the ABC have highlighted the vulnerability of press freedom in Australia compared to other similar liberal democracies. The offences being investigated, as set out in the relevant warrants, included alleged offences by… -
Race Discrimination
13 March 2024Speech
Coca-Cola Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit
I am the full-stop, the exclamation mark and the question mark. The vision of this summit is that “It’s not about changing the player, it’s about changing the field they are play on.” We have heard about the business case, the moral case and the human rights case. This December is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, marking the day, on 10 December 1948, when… -
Rights and Freedoms
12 August 2014Opinion piece
Starting a national conversation about free speech - Opinion piece
In an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald, Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson says this week's Free Speech Symposium, together with the Prime Minister's decision not to proceed with changes to the Racial Discrimination Act, marks the beginning of a national conversation about free speech. View the news story from the Commission's website. -
Age Discrimination
14 October 2024SpeechAge Discrimination Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald's Press club address
Why Australia Needs Ageism Awareness Day Shared Presentation with Dr Marlene Krasovitsky from EveryAGE Counts Wednesday, 25 September 2024 Check against delivery Introduction Thank you Marlene. It is a great joy to be here at this significant event. This is my third appearance at the National Press Club, but I'm now about 30 years older than the last time, so it's good to be back as an older… -
Rights and Freedoms
15 March 2024Speech
Free + Equal: Australian Conversation on Human Rights Closing Remarks
Closing Remarks Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM President, Australian Human Rights Commission Check against delivery For a start, thank you Julia, Dr Baird for that wonderful MC-ing of the day. What an array of fantastic insights! I said at the beginning that it would be challenging, insightful and exciting and I'm sure that, from my perspective, it's been every one of those things… -
Children's Rights
19 August 2024Publication
‘Help way earlier!’ – transforming child justice
Learn about how Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing. -
Employers15 March 2024Speech
Leadership Recipes
Defence Estate and Infrastructure Group Annual Leadership Conference Canberra Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM President, Australian Human RIghts Commission Acknowledgement I first wish to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people who are the traditional custodians of this land, and to pay my respects to Ngunnawal Elders past, present and emerging. I also acknowledge any Indigenous guests… -
Sex Discrimination
13 March 2024SpeechITECA Women in Tertiary Education
Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM FAAL Introduction [Acknowledgement of country] This invitation combines two things I love: talking about leadership to women and tertiary education. I can talk about such things for ever, and I will stick to my brief and my time, and look forward to your questions and whichever way they take us. Starting with reflections on leadership. Leadership I’ve … -
Technology and Human Rights
23 February 2024Submission
Australia and Lethal Autonomous Weaponry
Learn more about Australia's approach to lethal autonomous weapons systems and what this means for human rights.