Australia is the only western country without a national human rights act or equivalent. New Matilda has launched a campaign to change that.

 

The Bill


The proposed Human Rights Act is written in plain english, and comes with an explanation of what these rights will mean for the average Australian. Read it and tell us what you think.
 

Our Campaign


Our campaign has a consultative phase and a lobbying phase. The Campaign section has information about the campaign: dates, how you can get involved, and how you can donate.
 

Human Rights Resources


Find out what rights are currently protected in Australia, and how other countries and some Australian states protect rights. Read our human rights Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
 

Campaign Events


Events and public forums where people can discuss the Bill are a major part of our campaign. Click here for information on where future events will be held.
 

Human Rights Articles


Click here to read articles that have been written for New Matilda that explore human rights issues and the idea of a Human Rights Act.
 

Contact Us


Click here to get in contact with New Matilda's Human Rights Act Campaign Committee, or anyone on our campaign staff.
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Latest Campaign News
April 2008 Update

Good News is that our new campaign web-site is undergoing final testing and will be replacing the current site within the next couple of weeks. We will be contacting all registered supporters shortly and look forward to resuming our campaign with your ongoing support.

For the present, please refer to Articles Section for a submission made by Susan Ryan to the 2020 summit.

 
January 2008 Update

From January 1, 2008 the Human Rights Act for Australia campaign will be operating independently of the recently relaunched New Matilda magazine. A new web-site is under construction and we expect to be launching this shortly.

We thank you for your ongoing support for the campaign and look forward to resuming our dialogue once our new site is up and running. I'd like to thank you all for your patience in the meantime.

Peter Frank
National Campaign Coordinator

 
December 07 Campaign Update

The election of the Rudd Labor government is good news for the Human Rights Act for Australia campaign. Labor committed to reviewing human rights legislation at its June 2007 national conference and I was delighted that the new Attorney General, Robert McClelland, referred to consulting the community about a Charter of Rights and responsibilities in his first major press interview.

Robert McClelland is well known to us for his deep knowledge of human rights matters. Bob Debus, as the Minister for Home Affairs, which will involve matters arising from the anti-terror laws, is also an established supporter of human rights charters and his new role is warmly welcomed.

Our campaign committee will meet soon to review and update our strategy in light of these crucial changes in the political environment. We would hope to be actively involved in the AG’s mooted community consultations and will also be seeking input from our many parliamentary supporters, across all parties.

In 2008 we will have a great deal to do and will continue to seek ideas and assistance from our supporters, whom I thank and wish well for the festive season and the New Year.

Susan Ryan AO
Campaign Chair.

 

 
(C) 2008 New Matilda