Human rights commission

Tile International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1CCPR) proclaims the rights of all people to:

• 
  privacy
  
• 
  marriage and family
  
• 
  use by minorities of their own language, culture and religion
  
• 
  participation in public affairs
  

• 
  freedom of expression, movement, association and assembly
  

1.Section 44 provides, in effect, that the Commission may grant exemption from the operation of certain provisions of the Act

concerning discrimination.

2. Section 33 reads as follows: Nothing in Division 1 or 2 renders it unlawful to do an act a purpose of which is to ensure that persons of a particular sex, marital status or who are pregnant have equal opportunities with other persons in circumstances in relation to which provision is made by this Act.

• 
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  rotection of every human being's inherent right to life
  
• 
  liberty and security of person
  
• 
  freedom from degrading treatment or punishment
  
• 
  equal treatment with others under the law
  

The three declarations assign particular rights to children. people who are intellectually disadvantaged and people with disabilities
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child states that all children arc entitled to:

• 
  a name and a nationality
  
• 
  opportunities to develop fully in conditions of freedom and dignity
  
• 
  adequate care, affection and security, including pre-natal care
  
• 
  education
  
• 
  special treatment, education and care if handicapped
  
• 
  protection against cruelty and neglect
  

All intellectually disadvantaged people have the following additional rights, according to the Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons:

• 
  proper medical care and therapy
  
• 
  economic security
  
• 
  education, training, and work. and trade union membership
  
• 
  a qualified guardian
  
• 
  review of procedures which may deny them these rights
  

The Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons affords the following rights to persons with disabilities:

• 
  respect
  
• 
  family and social life
  

• 
  economic security
  
• 
  education, training, employment and trade union membership
  

• 
  protection from discriminatory treatment
  

The Racial Discrimination Act declares unlawful a defined range of racially discriminatory actions and is based upon the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

This Convention provides that people of all races. colours and national or ethnic origins have a right to:

• 
  equal treatment with others under the law,
  
• 
  equal access to public services and places
  
• 
  freedom of thought, conscience and opinion, peaceful assembly and association
  

• 
  work, housing, public health, medical care, social security, education and training
  

The Sex Discrimination Act declares unlawful a range of actions which are discriminatory on grounds of sex, marital status or pregnancy or constitute sexual harassment and is based in part on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This Convention provides for:

• 
  ^-women to be ensured rights on an equal basis \Anil men in the areas of access to the law, employment, education, social services. health care, financial services, family relations, rural development and nationality
  
• 
  women to be ensured equal participation with men in the political, social, economic and cultural life of the community
  
• 
  the elimination of prejudices and practices based on notions of the inferiority or superiority of, or stereotyped roles for, men and women.
  

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ppendix IV

Statement of expenditure

			1989^-85			1985-86
Special Appropriations
Salaries of Commissioners, including Deputy Chairman,
Commissioner for Community
Relations and Sex Discrimination			294 784			317 761
Commissioner
Appropriation Acts (No. 1 and No. 3) Human Rights Comission ,
1. Appropriations in the nature of salaries Senior executive staff			247836			249465
Other staff			1203706			1331106
Overtime			I 11693			15146
Other payments			5 708
Total—Salaries:		1	468 943		1	674 217
.Administrative expenses
Trave1			119 42.0			267 109
Office requisites Information services			11.'^, 476
Postage, telephone						44. 44
Consultants			122 35^-			124 91`i
Public Hearings						1 I	-144
Furniture and fittings			"i;'^, I			44	.,911
Building services			322 697			451	787
Grants			17 550			69	.514
Incidentals			22.5			42	554
Reimbursements to States			(^-04i			983	418
Total administrative expenses	2		992 543	3		040	949
Appropriation Act^, (No.2 and 4) Division 18.1.04: Plant and e^.quipment
Purchase of computer equipment						55	768
Total outlay	4		756 570	5		088	695

Note that the composition of some items in Division 181.2 will be changed for the financial year 1986-87. These changes will be

reflected in the Budget documents.

Appendix V

Complaints received from 1 July 1985 to 30 June 1986 Human Rights Commission Act

405 complaints were received, analysed as follows:

HRC* VS. 13L Vie. Qld WA. LA.

CO A DB CEO HRC CEO CEO

Male	209
1 emale	79
ir;:anisationl group	30
1 a nn lv ka■iy.n	22
	341

It. 'tate Territory in which complaint ,was lodged

'^..outh Wales 91

Viva Na 67

Qu,,:nsland 35

cst.' in Australia 26

olah \tiiralia 14

I a-m,Lina 4

II N Fl 151 Capital Territory' 83

Niatliviri lerritory 13

(1)11^,11[1s^, Island 1

7

341

15	14		10	2
7	4	4	2
1	1
24	19		12
24

24 10 1^.) 253 62

96 24

32 8

23 6

405

115 28

86

42 11

38

16

4

83 21
13

7

405

13 3

66 16

").5 6

121 30

By catc:Ik -

Medical 11

Emplomat 44 6 13

Bencfits 25

ImmiglItlin 117

Access I.^, legal advice Family dispute

Commonwealth

State.

Other

lil 1:

Criminal law

Treatment before and after Court

Arrest Appeal

Prisoners' rights Commonwealth

State

Incoherent.' Outside sphere Other

4				4
11				11
50				50	12
55	16	6	12	91	23
341	24	19	12	405

T
81
asmanian and Northern Territory complaints included in this figure.

Appendix VI

Complaints received from 1 July 1985 to 30 June 1986 Racial Discrimination Act

606 complaints were received, analysed as follows:

/

	HRC: Co*	NSW ADB	Vic CEO	Qld HRC	WA CEO	SA CEO	No	%
Male	74	158	16	47	13	22	330	55
Female	28	106	1	37	18	17	207	34
Organisation/group	25	6	1	10	3	-	45	7
Family	7	1	-	6	3	1	18	3
Not known	1	1	-	-	-	-	2	-
Section 21(1)(b)	4	-	-	-	-	-	4	1
	139	272	18	100	37	40	606
By State/Territory where lodged
NSW	24	272	-	-	-	-	296	49
Victoria	20	-	18	-	-	-	38	6
Qld	13	-	-	100	-	-	113	19
WA	3	-	-	-	37	-	40	7
SA	8	-	-	-	-	40	48	8
Tas	3	-	-	-	-	-	3	-
ACT	42	-	-	-	-	-	42	7
NT	23	-	-	-	-	-	23	4
Overseas	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Not known	2	-	-	-	-	-	2
	139	272	18	100	37	40	606
*Tasmanian and NT complaints included in this figure