In the 27th July edition of eNews, PeakCare reported on the promise of the Queensland government to introduce a Human Rights Act for Queensland. Questions were raised on the issue at our Roundtable meetings around Queensland, with many PeakCare Members asking how a Human Rights Act could impact organisations and families receiving services.
On Wednesday, 19th September, Human Rights Act for Queensland campaign is teaming up with QUT Law, Queensland Council of Civil Liberties and the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights to host a free community discussion about what the introduction of an Act could mean for Queenslanders. The keynote address will be delivered by Prof George Williams AO, Dean and Anthony Mason Professor of Law at the University of NSW. There will also be a panel of experts on the topic. Though free, registration is essential as space is limited. The Human Rights Act for Queensland also has examples of how human rights can help protect specific groups, like children and young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and women experiencing domestic and family violence.
PeakCare encourages all eNews readers to engage with this discussion and provide support to this important campaign – the more questions we ask, the more our political representatives will have to find answers. For more on the importance of human rights legislation, watch this video of an interview from 2016 with Human Rights Act for Queensland Campaign Coordinator Aimee McVeigh by PeakCare’s Lindsay Wegener and this video in which Aimee is joined by others in a panel discussion also in 2016. We also remind eNews readers that the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2018 Human Rights Awards are now open for nominations, including for the Young People’s Human Rights Medal category. Nominations closethis Sunday, 19th August, so don’t miss out if you have a young person, community organisation or other group or individual you feel deserves to be recognised!