[Greens-Media] HR Commission only half baked

[Manderson, Roland]

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey Media Release

Tues 23 Aug 2005

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HR Commission only half baked
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Greens MLA Deb Foskey today expressed qualified a support for the Human Rights Commission legislation passed by the Assembly.

"I was pleased to amend the Human Rights Commission Bill today to give the proposed Commission a broader function - and give it clearer authority to be proactive" Dr Foskey said after the debate today.

 "I was disappointed that the Government was not prepared to support other initiatives that arose from its own consultation on the project."

"Community response has strongly argued that the Commissioners need some autonomy, and I reject the Government's view such an approach would be unworkable in this structure."

"And so, without a wider role, there is now a real danger that the Children and Young People's Commissioner (for example) will be focussed on children and young people in service systems, due to the understandable pressures flowing from the Vardon and Murray reports, to the detriment of the broader needs of young people." 

"I was particularly concerned about the Government's refusal to consider a time-frame for the Commission's initial consideration of a matter, despite strong representations of experts and advocacy groups." 

"It should be remembered that the Government funded review which led to the establishment of the Commission argued that time lines were important, and that Commissioners needed to be funded to meet them."

" This Government's unwillingness to commit to a set time frame, cloaked in the language of flexibility, raises questions about accountability and suggests it is not locked in to adequate funding."

 "The real test of the Commission lies in its operation. I trust this government will be constantly evaluating it, and is prepared to revisit it if its model fails to deliver the kind of support Canberra's most vulnerable people require. The ACT Greens, and Canberra's community advocacy organisations, will be watching it closely" Dr Foskey said.


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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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