News

Age Discrimination

National Press Club speech - Susan Ryan

“The ageing revolution is not over” - Last time I spoke here I called my address “the longevity revolution”, and asked, “crisis or opportunity?”. I intended that question as a challenge but it seems my challenge has not been met. We are as a community, still floundering on the crisis side of the binary. Our approach is still steeped in the language of “burden” and “deficits”. We are still failing to realise the opportunities that longevity can create for us.

6 July, 2016

Rights and Freedoms

Jessie Street Trust Annual Lunch 2016

Jessie Street Trust Annual Lunch - I am pleased to join you today to honour the work and annual birthday of Jessie Mary Grey Lillingston Street, a remarkable, and very modern Australian woman. Well before the First World War, she was an advocate for many of the social issues we care about today; equality for women, constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians, world peace and for disarmament.

3 June, 2016

Race Discrimination

Graduation speech: Knowing thyself – University of Sydney

Graduands, my warmest congratulations. It may be Friday the 13th, but this is clearly an auspicious day. I am honoured to be celebrating this occasion with you. It gives me special pleasure to be with you as an alumnus of the Department. There is a special bond among Sydney’s graduates of Government...

13 May, 2016

Rights and Freedoms

Human rights across the Tasman: a widening gulf

I am honoured to have been invited to give this lecture at the Law School of the University of Canterbury, funded by the generosity of the Sir Eric Hotung Fellowship. While I had settled the subject matter of this lecture, I thought it would be helpful to know what other Hotung Fellows had discussed...

11 May, 2016

Sex Discrimination

National Press Club speech - Kate Jenkins

‘Accelerating change: gender equality from the household to the workplace’ Kate Jenkins Sex Discrimination Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission National Press Club 20 April 2016 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY I would like to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Custodians and First...

20 April, 2016

Disability Rights

NDIS Housing Innovation Showcase

Good morning. I’m pleased to be able to be here with you all today. I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Wangal people, and pay respect to their Elders both past and present. There are really only a few things that are more fundamental to us than...

6 April, 2016

Legal

Hotung Fellowship Public Lecture 2016

Human rights across the Tasman: a widening gulf. I am honoured to have been invited to give this lecture at the Law School of the University of Canterbury, funded by the generosity of the Sir Eric Hotung Fellowship.

6 April, 2016

Age Discrimination

Older Women's Network International Women's Day Conference

I start by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. To all of you here today at the OWN conference, happy International Women’s Day for 2016. It has always been my approach to International Women's Day to mark the things we as women have to celebrate. As older women in Australia at this...

8 March, 2016

Sex Discrimination

Brigidine College Address - 2nd Wave Feminism

I start by acknowledging the traditional owners, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. I am pleased to be here with you today, the day before International Women’s Day…and I wish you as young women all the best for that day, and all the best for the many life decisions that you will make as you...

7 March, 2016

Sex Discrimination

Australasian Law Reform Agencies Conference

Domestic and family violence and human rights - We all have a right to live our lives free from violence, especially in our relationships, our families and in our homes.

4 March, 2016

Employers

HR Leaders Forum

Rights and Responsibilities: Creating Better Workplaces for all Australians

23 February, 2016

Legal

Access to justice

Your Honours, distinguished guests: I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, the Wurrindjeri people of the Kulin nation and pay my respects to their elders, especially to those elders present today. May also thank our host the Hon Justice Mordy Bromberg and the ICJ for inviting me to this...

1 February, 2016

Disability Rights

Time to regulate housing accessibility

With the scale, complexity and massive costs of recent reforms in disability services and aged care, we need constant monitoring and patience as the changes are put into place.According to what I hear and see this is all happening pretty well, in general.There is however a big shortcoming, a gap...

13 January, 2016

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Launch of the Social Justice and Native Title Report 2015

Acknowledgements Thank you Gillian for your kind introduction and thank you, Yvonne, for your Welcome to Country.

4 December, 2015

Business and Human Rights

Launch of Human Rights in Supply Chains: Promoting Positive Practice

After years of debate and consultation led by Professor John Ruggie, the United Nations Special Representative for Business and Human Rights, there is now clarification at the international level about the responsibility of business through the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

2 December, 2015