News

Disability Rights

Understanding Disability Discrimination

In some ways I think I have been asked to teach my grandmother to suck eggs (though I am sure my own venerable forebear did no such thing!). I would say that there is no industry more skilled in the art of disability discrimination than the insurance and superannuation industry. Before you decide I am irretrievably biased against your work let me explain that, of course, I understand such discrimination is the basis of your enterprise.

Disability Rights

Innes: Keeping Disability Action Plans on track

I was pleased to get this invitation to make a contribution to this forth and final workshop on the development of Disability Action Plans organised by the Office for Disability.

Disability Rights

Sydney City Access Forum

I would like to thank you Councillor Kemmis and your CEO Monica Barone for the invitation to attend this Forum as it gives me an opportunity to discuss the critical role that Local Government can play in ensuring people with disabilities have access to, and are able to contribute to, the social, cultural, economic and political community in which we live.

Disability Rights

Release of third progress report on South Australia's Promoting Independence strategy

I am not here to present South Australia's government as having achieved the last word in access and inclusion for people with disabilities, any more than this report itself seeks to claim that the task is finished.

Disability Rights

International day for people with disabilities

I am here today partly because Michelle Castagna was quick off the mark in organising me to come before I had accepted any of the numerous other possibilities for events for the international day.

Commission – General

Opening statement by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention Network

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee this afternoon. The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the opportunity to comment on Australia's immigration detention system in this forum.

Sex Discrimination

Deacon’s lawyers seminar on women and workplace issues

Work and family: The legal perspective Speech delivered by Pru Goward, Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner at the Deacon’s lawyers seminar on women and workplace issues, 9 July 2003 Chairman of Deacon’s Melbourne office, Peter Beaumont, National Workplace Relations Team Leader, Neil Napper...

Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights, Governance and Decision Making

Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to speak at this conference. I'm very pleased to be here. Firstly as a senior Commonwealth public servant not based in Canberra I immediately warm to this forum. The challenges of interacting with, and learning from, our colleagues are increased greatly by the fact that we aren't located in the city viewed by most commonwealth public servants as the centre of the universe.

Rights and Freedoms

“The Relevance of Human Rights in Contemporary Australia”: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM (2003)

1. Introduction 2. Emergence of International Human Rights 3. Impact of international human rights law on federal law 4. Moving forward on human rights protection

Rights and Freedoms

Human rights issues for rural families: Chris Sidoti (1998)

Families, and those who support them, play a vital role in the protection of human rights. Accordingly, I am very pleased to address this conference, and I commend all of you for your work in preserving and strengthening families.

Commission – General

President Speech: Flinders University Law School Prize Giving Ceremony 2010

I am honoured to have been invited to address you this evening on this beautiful campus of the Flinders University of South Australia. Let me begin my address by recalling that, long before the establishment of this prestigious place of learning in the European tradition, there was learning of another tradition here; the learning of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains.I would like to acknowledge the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respect to their elders, past and present.

Commission – General

Creating Fairness and Equality in the Workplace

It is now 12 months since the introduction of WorkChoices radically restructured Australia’s industrial relations system. Today, I propose to reflect on the implications of WorkChoices for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and to outline reforms HREOC believes are necessary to safeguard fairness and equality in the workplace.

Commission – General

125th anniversary of the Law Society of South Australia.

Today, on its 125th anniversary, we celebrate the very considerable achievements of the Law Society of South Australia. This is an occasion to reflect on these past successes, to consider their present significance, and to think about the future.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

2009 Speech: Bilingual Education

Good morning friends, supporters, Dr’s Peter Toyne and Lester-Irabinna Rigney and distinguished guests. I would also like to acknowledge my Indigenous sisters and brothers who have travelled here to be with us and to share your experiences and stories.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

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I begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land where we meet today, and pay my respects to their elders. I would also like to thank the LIME conference organisers -- and Gregory Phillips and Lisa Jackson-Pulver in particular -- for inviting me to speak tonight and for organising this event and for ensuring that Indigenous health – so often overlooked in the ongoing debates about health and health reform in Australia – receives the attention it deserves in this context.