Category: Human Rights

Human Rights for Oz: when & why PM should act

As the 2025 federal election looms, CLA believes it’s time for PM Albanese’s Labor Party to promise Australia that they will enact a federal Human Rights Act in the next Parliament, if returned to power, before the end of 2026. ATTACHED is CLA’s direct letter to the PM, asking for that promise, and background papers supporting why Australia’s establishing firm human rights and civil  liberties benchmarks, now in the Trump 2024 era, is so much more important than ever (see Scoping Paper: International Relations).   Letter to the Prime Minister   THE ROLE OF A HUMAN RIGHTS ACT IN INTERNATIONALContinue reading

Tassie to get Human Rights Act?

For the second time, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute is urging its parliament to pass a Human Rights Act to benefit the citizens of the state. Following a strong recommendation in 2007, the TLRI has released its 2024 Update, calling for MPs to pass a Human Rights Act, for all laws passed by parliament to be compatible with it, and for a ’no rights without remedy’, direct way for Tasmanians to access justice if their rights are breached by bureaucrats.

Why federal human rights wouldn’t ‘entrench racism’

Two Quadrant authors are alarmist in claiming that a national human rights Act would ‘entrench racism’ in Australia, leading civil liberties campaigner Dr Kristine Klugman says. It may be threat to the unwarranted privileges of the rich and ‘old white men’, but such an Act would provide a much fairer society with a ‘fair go’ for all, equally.

Fair Go: Human Rights right around Australia

How close is Australia to having Human Rights Acts nationwide? Here’s a rundown by CLA President Dr Kristine Klugman. Her status report comes just as the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights is about to recommend a new federal framework for Australia’s national human rights regime. But all states and territories have active groups working to improve citizens’ access to a fair go in their own bailiwick.