Posts tagged Democratic Freedoms
Submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs regarding the Aged Care Bill 2024 and whistleblower protections

In a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, the Human Rights Law Centre has called on the Albanese Government to strengthen whistleblower protections in the aged care sector and pursue a consistent, harmonised approach to federal whistleblower laws, including a single Whistleblower Protection Act.

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Joint submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Peaceful Assembly on stigmatising narratives and the impact on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association

The Human Rights Law Centre and the Australian Democracy Network’s submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Peaceful Assembly and Association calls for repealing harsh anti-protest laws, combating stigmatising narratives, and strengthening protections for protesters. These measures aim to safeguard the right to peaceful protest and ensure compliance with international human rights standards.

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Submission to NDIS Act Reform

On 27 March 2024, The Australian Government introduced changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No.1) Bill 2024. The Bill seeks to respond to concerns related to quality and safeguards, fraud and financial sustainability issues within the scheme. 

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Submission to the Inquiry into Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023

In a submission to a Senate Economics Legislation Committee inquiry into the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023, the Human Rights Law Centre, in a joint submission with Griffith University’s Centre for Governance & Public Policy, and Transparency International Australia, welcomed proposed reforms in the Bill to extend tax whistleblower protections.

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Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations & Financial Services Inquiry into Ethics and Professional Accountability in the Consultancy Industry

Joint evidence to the inquiry from Transparency International Australia, Griffith University’s Centre for Governance and Public Policy and the Human Rights Law Centre calls for a single Act to protect whistleblowers across all types of private sector entities – revealing that partnerships like the major accounting firms are not adequately covered by any existing laws, for the public or private sectors.

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Submission on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023

In a submission to the Federal government Department, the Human Rights Law Centre recommended that in place of the proposal for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to be a “backstop” option for regulation, ACMA should instead be given sufficient powers to regulate social media platforms effective immediately.

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Hands Off Our Charities oppose Government regulations to deregister charities

The implications of the proposed regulations, which significantly broaden the scope of activities for which charities can be deregistered, will be felt by virtually every one of the 58,000 charities registered in Australia. The proposal is a major overreach and the need for further regulation has not been (and in our view cannot be) properly explained. No obvious benefit will accrue, yet there is a significant cost to charities and, by extension, Australian civil society.

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