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Imagine the sea rising around you as your country literally disappears beneath your feet, where the food you grow and the water you drink is being destroyed by salt, and your last chance is to seek refuge in other lands...[1]

COMMISSIONER OZDOWSKI: Welcome to everyone. I would like to formally open this public hearing, the first of a series of hearings to be conducted around Australia. My name is Sev Ozdowski and I am the Human Rights Commissioner of Australia, and I have with me two Assistant Commissioners; to my right Professor Trang Thomas who is Professor of Psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and to my left Dr Robin Sullivan who is Queensland Commissioner for Children. I also have two counsel assisting.

10.1 Whether there was an act or practice in terms of the HREOC Act 10.2 Whether there was a distinction, exclusion, or preference on the basis of criminal record 10.3 Whether the distinction, exclusion or preference nullified or impaired equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation 10.4 Whether the distinction, exclusion or preference was based on the inherent requirements of the job

Article 3(1) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that a child's best interests are to be a primary consideration in all actions concerning them. The Australian system, whereby the guardian of unaccompanied child asylum seekers is the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, rather than an authoritative, independent statutory body, does not ensure that the requirements of article 3(1) are met.

8.1 The profiles indicate a growing awareness by custodial and medical staff of issues concerning the proper treatment of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisoners. However, implementation of the recommendations is uneven. Some recommendations have not been implemented in any jurisdiction.

1. Save the Children Save the Children is the world's largest independent child development organisation, with 32 member countries and programs in over 100 countries. Save the Children works for:

Native title is an intersection of two different legal systems and cultures. The way in which Australia chooses to give recognition to the relationship that Indigenous people have with their land, and the range of options it considers to express that relationship, are matters that affect the human rights of Indigenous people.

In 2007-08, the number of new migrants who settled permanently in Australia was 205 940.[78] The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines ‘settled permanently’ as:

ChilOut was established in July 2001 by a group of concerned parents and citizens who felt compelled to advocate and act on behalf of children and their parents living in Australia's immigration detention centres (IDC).

Catholic Welfare Australia is a Commission of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference and is the peak body that represents the social welfare apostolate of the Catholic Church in Australia at a national level. It is a national federation of Catholic social service organisations that operate in local communities. Membership of Catholic Welfare Australia is drawn from the Catholic social welfare organisations operating under the authority of a diocesan bishop or a religious order and from Catholic lay associations.