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Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM commenced duty as Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner in December 2000 in addition to his duties as Human Rights Commissioner. In April 2003 the Attorney-General announced an extension of this acting position until 3 April 2004.

Commissioner Pru Goward's appointment to the position of Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Commissioner was announced on 29 June 2001. She commenced her term on 30 July 2001.

In my previous two Native Title Reports, I have strongly argued the need to reform the native title system. Stakeholders from all sectors engaged in the native title system have also stressed the need for the Government to take significant steps to ensure that the system meets the original objectives set out in the preamble to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (Native Title Act).

Sex discrimination remains a harsh reality for many Australian women, who continue to experience unfair treatment in the workplace and other spheres of life, with complaints on the grounds of SDA rising in recent years:

Over the past year increasing trends of prejudice and harassment of particular groups in our community has continued to be an area of significant concern for me. As noted in the 2002-03 annual report, I launched the Isma project in March 2003 in response to increasing concerns expressed by Arab and Muslim organisations about the rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice in Australia.

I begin by paying my respects to the Jagera and Turrubual peoples, the traditional owners of the land where we gather today. I pay my respects to your elders, to the ancestors and to those who have come before us. And thank you for your generous welcome to country for all of us.

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) in the Native Title Amendment (Reform) Bill 2011.

The 2000 Social Justice Report is the second by Dr Jonas. It tabled in both houses of the federal Parliament on 28 March 2001. The theme of the report is reconciliation and human rights.

On the 26 November the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth released its report of an inquiry into homelessness legislation. The inquiry followed the federal government’s release, on 21 December 2008, of its White Paper, The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness. In the White Paper, the government pledged to ‘enact new legislation to ensure that people who are homeless receive quality services and adequate support.’

1.1 Introduction This year marks 20 years since the establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner (Social Justice Commissioner) role under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth). When I first started in this position I was asked if any of the previous Commissioners had left any words or notes of advice. I answered them ‘no, but they all left ...