News

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

96th NSW Teachers Federation Annual Conference

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. Some of you may recall that I addressed your conference 2 years ago and 2 years before that I spoke at your Council meeting. Obviously, this shows the enormous respect and admiration that I have for all of you as educators. But I think it also shows just how crucial I think that teachers are to progressing our human rights and social justice agenda.

29 June, 2014

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Alcohol reform requires balanced approach - Opinion Piece

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Gooda, wrote in The Australian that the way to tackle alcohol abuse is to empower communities to make decisions about alcohol management that are reasonable, proportionate, and necessary.

19 June, 2014

Rights and Freedoms

The Forgotten Freedoms – Freedom of Religion

It is a great pleasure to deliver a Blackfriars Lecture. A few weeks ago I gave a speech to the Sydney Institute outlining the approach I plan to take to human rights as the Federal Commissioner titled ‘The Forgotten Freedoms’. In this speech I outlined that I have concerns about the key freedoms of expression, worship, association and property rights. Reasserting them will be the focus of my tenure as Human Rights Commissioner.

29 May, 2014

Rights and Freedoms

Twitter trolls have a right to offend – but we don't have to listen

Storms on social media demonstrate we don't need laws to regulate free speech – social norms are enough Internet outrage tells us more about how we ensure civil conduct face-to-face, than how we behave online. People behave in strange ways online. But social media provides the clearest evidence of...

20 May, 2014

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

This budget could devastate Indigenous Australians

From cuts to youth welfare to the new Medicare co-payment, the budget will have a profound impact on Indigenous Australians. In an opinion piece published in The Drum, Mick Gooda asks: will the Federal Government speak to Aboriginal leaders before proceeding? I have spoken with many Aboriginal and...

20 May, 2014

Rights and Freedoms

Opening minds to ‘forgotten freedoms’

Opinion by Human Rights Commissioner, Tim Wilson. First published in The Australian on 17 May 2014. Reform is not the end of debating free speech in Australia, it is the beginning The “forgotten freedoms” provide the foundations of our liberal democracy, and we have to reconnect with them. There are...

19 May, 2014

Children's Rights

QCEC Student Protection In-Service Day for Catholic School Authorities

It is a real pleasure to be here in Brisbane and to speak to so many people who are all committed to the protection of children and young people across Australia.

16 May, 2014

Changing Hearts, Changing Minds

We all share a responsibility to lead cultural change for inclusion of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex. Building on the previous work of the Commission, I’ll be using my term as Human Rights Commissioner to ensure these issues are given national attention. It was an honour to be a keynote speaker at the Human Rights Forum of the Asia Pacific Outgames in Darwin.

16 May, 2014

Rights and Freedoms

The Forgotten Freedoms

The Sydney Institute

13 May, 2014

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

2014 WACOSS Conference

The title of this morning’s session is ‘Recognition of Aboriginal people in the Constitution and the possibility of Aboriginal advancement’. Without a doubt, I see constitutional recognition as a pathway for advancement. I have said again and again, that is it is a real nation building opportunity and the benefits will extend to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and non-Australians alike. It is a journey that will mark our maturity as an inclusive, just nation.

6 May, 2014

Children's Rights

Playing our part: advocating for children’s rights

In coming here today, we celebrate 40 years of hard work and dedication by the Network of Community Activities, to the promotion of children’s rights in Australia.

6 May, 2014

Sex Discrimination

Australian Industry Group National Personnel and Industrial Relations (PIR) Conference

I’ve been asked here today to speak briefly about gender equality in workplaces and about the National Review on Discrimination Related to Pregnancy, Parental Leave and Return to Work, which I am currently conducting.

6 May, 2014

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Australian Politics and Human Rights Lecture

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today about politics and human rights. As you would know there is a lot of discussion about human rights in the political debate at the moment, which is a great thing because human rights is not something that many Australian’s feel is relevant to them.

29 April, 2014

Rights and Freedoms

The freedom wars and the future of human rights in Australia

Address to the National Press Club, Canberra

9 April, 2014

Children's Rights

Findings from the Big Banter and future plans

Exploring advancements in children’s rights and emerging themes from the Big Banter. A resource for human rights and wellbeing from Megan Mitchell.

9 April, 2014