2022-06-02
“Australia is the only Western democracy that doesn’t have a national Charter of Human Rights, but we have an opportunity to change that,” said the Greens spokesperson for Justice: Senator Lidia Thorpe.
This comes as The Human Rights Law Centre released the Charters of Human Rights Make Our Lives Better report, outlining 101 cases where a Charter would level the playing field and empower people to take action if their rights are violated.
The application of human rights in these cases include a domestic violence survivor avoiding eviction, parents with a disability keeping their family together, advocating for people in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic and access to education for asylum seekers.
“Human rights are the tools we use to fight for our basic dignities and freedoms. These tools belong to all of us. They ensure that each and everyone of us in this country is protected.”
“Successive governments have failed to legislate our human rights in federal law. It is time we live up to our international commitments and reflect these in our laws, policies and practice.” Said Thorpe.