Australian Government urged to stand up for the human rights of children

As the Queensland Government moves to pass its controversial Making Queensland Safer Bill this week, the National Children’s Commissioner is calling on the Australian Government to affirm its commitment to the human rights of Australia’s children, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds: “This Bill has attracted widespread condemnation, including from the United Nations, for its ‘flagrant disregard’ of the human rights of children and international law. The fact that its provisions are targeting our most at-risk children makes this retreat from human rights even more shocking. 

“This is an international embarrassment for the Australian Government as it signals to the world Australia’s failure to uphold the basic human rights of children in the most vulnerable of circumstances.

“The Bill creates new laws which could result in children as young as 10 years of age being sentenced as adults, including mandatory life sentences. Detention as a last resort would also be removed as a key principle guiding the sentencing of child offenders. These and other measures in the Bill contravene Australia’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

“Most of these children have disabilities, learning problems, mental health issues and trauma. Many live in poverty and lack the most basic of human requirements, such as secure housing and food, schooling that meets their needs, and support for drug addiction and violence. Too many are First Nations children.

“The measures in this Bill are not based on the evidence of what is required to prevent crime by children.

“This Bill will harm children and will not make Queensland safer. The Queensland Government is ignoring evidence which shows that the younger a child comes into contact with the justice system, the more likely it is that they will continue to commit more serious crimes. 

“The Prime Minister has many times promised to ‘leave no-one behind’, but as my report ‘Help Way Earlier!’ recently tabled in Parliament shows, far too many children are currently being left behind in this country. 

"Unlike other national issues of critical importance, remarkably the wellbeing of Australia’s children is not a priority for National Cabinet. The lack of accountability for child wellbeing over many decades represents the failures of successive governments, and we continue to pay the cost.

“At this critical time, all governments across our federation need to stand up for the human rights of Australia’s children, including the Australian Government.”

Watch a video from Commissioner Hollonds about the Making Queensland Safer Bill.

The National Children’s Commissioner’s landmark report ‘Help Way Earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice and improve safety and wellbeing was tabled in the Australian Parliament in August 2024.

ENDS | Contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897