In a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework, the campaign, made up of over 90 organisations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with a disability, women, children, older persons, LGBTIQ+ people, and people from migrant and refugee communities, provided evidence that a Charter will benefit the whole community by:

• preventing human rights violations;

• providing a powerful tool to challenge injustice; and

• fostering understanding and respect for human rights

Australia is the only western liberal democracy without a Charter of Human Rights or similar in our laws. A Charter would mean governments must consider people’s human rights when creating new laws and policies, and delivering services – like aged care, Medicare, disability services, and education funding. People could also take action and seek justice if their rights are violated.

Read the Charter campaign submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework