As shown in the video attached to Sinclair’s blog, Broderick claims that the Human Rights Commission
focusses on your right to a life free of violence
No, Broderick, the Police are there to protect people from violence. She goes on to say
we have 17000 calls a year of which 4 only relate to freedom of expression
But check out the Commission’s website. It says (under the section labelled complaints):
The Australian Human Rights Commission can investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying based on a person’s:
- sex, including pregnancy, marital status, breastfeeding, family responsibilities and sexual harassment
- disability, including temporary and permanent disabilities; physical, intellectual, sensory, psychiatric disabilities, diseases or illnesses; medical conditions; work related injuries; past, present and future disabilities; and association with a person with a disability
- race, including colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, immigrant status and racial hatred
- age, covering young people and older people
- sexual preference, criminal record, trade union activity, political opinion, religion or social origin (in employment only)
It is against the law to be discriminated against in many areas of public life, including employment, education, the provision of goods, services and facilities, accommodation, sport and the administration of Commonwealth laws and services.
The Commission can also investigate and resolve complaints about alleged breaches of human rights against the Commonwealth and its agencies.
Not one mention of complaints being welcome re freedom of speech.
Imagine how many more complaints there would have been if the right to a life free from offense had been enacted.
In fact Broderick and her colleagues were behind Roxon’s legislation; my understanding is that the Human Rights Commission has been pushing for an extension of its charter into this field for some time. It would result in a bigger and more powerful Human Rights Commissi0n - no wonder the Commission wanted the new legislation. In fact, the thousands of responses to Roxon’s new law should be treated as complaints against the infringement of freedom of speech.
The Human Rights Commission is a farce – it is there to harm human rights, not protect them. When a threat to that most precious of human rights was in the offing, the Human Rights Commission was silent.
Broderick and her colleagues have shown their colours and no amount of dissembling can change that fact. They do not deserve to remain in their positions – they have failed utterly in protecting our human rights.
Further, the Commission claims that human rights
Human rights are about recognising and respecting the inherent value and dignity of all people. Human rights standards are contained in internationally agreed human rights instruments recognised in Australian law. The Australian Human Rights Commission has responsibilities for promoting and encouraging protection of human rights in Australia.
No, a thousand times no! Thomas Paine wrote on this very point
It is a perversion of terms to say that a charter gives rights. It operates by a contrary effect — that of taking rights away. Rights are inherently in all the inhabit-ants; but charters, by annulling those rights, in the majority, leave the right, by exclusion, in the hands of a few… They… consequently are instruments of injustice … The fact, therefore, must be that the individuals, themselves, each, in his own personal and sovereign right, entered into a compact with each other to produce a government: and this is the only mode in which governments have a right to arise, and the only principle on which they have a right to exist.
The Human Rights Commission should be abolished. It has been subverting human rights while promoting a culture of complaint.
If they failed to observe the charter, as Brandis accuses them of doing, charge them all and then let the court sort it out.
They should be treated no different than if a board of directors neglected their duty.
Stick a red hot poker up their backside and let the dancing begin.
These fuckers should not get away with what they have done by merely getting booted once the Libs get back in.
Jc
22 Feb 13 at 7:12 pm
They who take offense first lose the argument. Enshrine that.
Driftforge
22 Feb 13 at 7:27 pm
Simon Breheny at the IPA believes balance could be achieved by the appointment of HRC freedom commissioners. I can’t agree for the HRC would merely appoint fellow travellers who would join the gravy train and pay lip service to all of the fundamental freedoms. Abolition of the HRC is the only way.
Ubique
22 Feb 13 at 7:27 pm
Tend to agree with Jc. Get rid of the AHRC and all similar federal and state bodies.
I also recall an interview with Gillian Triggs I think it was (the AHRC woman with the English accent) where she bragged that under Roxon’s proposed legislation, the AHRC would have EXPANDED powers whereby the AHRC would determine if a complaint was vexatious and whether it could go to court. I couldn’t think of anything more outrageous than a bunch of self-serving lefties in a kangaroo court denying a citizen’s right to seek justice in court. But I haven’t come across any further discussion on this. . .
CC
22 Feb 13 at 7:29 pm
Come on, not all charters are bad, Magna Carta anyone?
Jeremiah
22 Feb 13 at 7:30 pm
Why muck around? Withdraw from the UN. And the downside would be?
Steve of Ferny Hills
22 Feb 13 at 7:32 pm
Where’s a whole bunch of things we need to withdraw from if the Coalition wins power. Our signature to the refugee convention needs to be torn up as well.
Jeremiah
22 Feb 13 at 7:35 pm
The challenge is out. Abolish this useless big bloated government bureaucracy ASAP.
It, like many bureaucracies, exists in large part to advance the Left’s agenda and to create lavishly remunerated positions for Labor’s mates.
And if the Coalition do give it the boot it deserves will the vast majority of Australians really give two stuffs about it?
Ant
22 Feb 13 at 7:37 pm
Abolish them and let the libel laws work as intended.
More budget savings! Swannie – if you want ideas for getting your budget back into surplus and to pay off your quarter trillion credit card bill ring me any time.
Bruce
22 Feb 13 at 7:37 pm
Withdraw from the UN, the refugee convention goes as well, no?
Steve of Ferny Hills
22 Feb 13 at 7:39 pm
Promoting their rights. We mere mortals have no rights. And the complaining need help in achieving their aims too.
stackja
22 Feb 13 at 7:52 pm
How fortunate are we in this country that such an important conversation can take place so publicly, with such passion and indeed, at all?
We have an abundance of articulate and committed protagonists, whilst in most parts of the world, such open discourse can never take place.
Worth looking after.
Tapdog
22 Feb 13 at 7:59 pm
Totally agree, not only were they silent in the face of this appauling attack on our freedom to speak, they were seemingly BEHIND it! The HRC should be abolished completely, it’s a waste of taxpayer funds and is working to subvert our rights, not protect them.
It’s just another public bureaucracy that’s in it to expand their own influence and power, nothing else.
MattR
22 Feb 13 at 8:07 pm
Agree with JC.
Bring them to trial as criminals.
As I said on the other thread, Santamaria argued that the ‘human rights’ commission and like organisations were nothing but fronts for the old communists.
He was right.
C.L.
22 Feb 13 at 8:24 pm
And my now customary warning: do not trust Brandis as an abolitionist or anything like it. He is a luvvie on this whole ‘discrimination’ racket.
C.L.
22 Feb 13 at 8:26 pm
Santamaria was a first-rate thinker who could have cleaned up in law, but chose activism.
CL – I’d love to read the articles where he fleshed out the communist-HRC thesis. Do you know where to find them?
Fisky
22 Feb 13 at 8:38 pm
Not really, Fisk. That the whole superstructure of the leftist secular humanists’ ‘rights’ push was a con run by the remnants of communism was a theme in his writings for years. Indeed, the role of the NCC was to combat these new fronts.
C.L.
22 Feb 13 at 8:47 pm
And when you have done that can we start in on electoral fraud?
NoFixedAddress
22 Feb 13 at 8:53 pm
Agree.
CC
22 Feb 13 at 8:59 pm
Great lines these is it OK if I use ‘em with due attribution to you Samuel J.
I think having Graeme Innes on the Commission as Disability Commission really changed the focus to anti-discrimination.
Catherine Branson QC was President of the Human Rights Commission her 5-year term ended last year. I remember writing to her about the plight of a group of Australian women which government policy excludes from gaining remunerative employment, living close to the bread-line or below in the formative years of their family and their latter years of old age because they’ve not been able to save any Super at all. Explained what the solutions were and asked for the HRC to go in to bat for these Australian women.
She wrote back to me saying the HRC was working hard to ensure Muslim women were not discriminated against. Spare me days. This is a list of the topics on which the new President of the Human Rights Commission Professor Gillian Triggs has spoken since her appointment – freedom of speech nowhere.
Tintarella di Luna
22 Feb 13 at 9:06 pm
I believe all “social justice” tribunals and commissions should be abolished.
As far as I can tell, they attract busybodies and snoops or, people with a chip on their shoulder who are determined to right the wrong they thought or believed was done to them x years ago.
Here is part of an email I sent to Commissioner Broderick some time ago relating to Broderick’s “investigation” of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA).
Dear Commissioner Broderick,
Although it seems writing to you achieves little, I will persevere as perhaps, one day, you will reply.
In an earlier email I wrote this in regard to your involvement with ADFA:
“I believe I could write your report. Here are some of the words I would use: caring, sharing, diversity, empowerment, acceptance, nurturing,equality, discrimination, inappropriate, understanding, acceptance,education, sensitivity, empathy and tolerance.
I read your report and was much impressed with my forecast. Not all the words I thought would be included made the cut, but quite a few did. Here is the word count from your report:
Diversity 199
Acceptance 5
Equality 82
Discrimination 118
Inappropriate 45
Understanding 23
Education 87
Sensitive/sensitivity 17
Tolerance/tolerate 10″
I believe Broderick’s organisation is a first class example of “make work” snoops and busybodies consuming our taxes, while using buzzwords to make their voluminous reports sound authoritative.
My belief in their uselessness was reinforced by her defence of her organisation when it came to free speech. It seems her organisation talked about things.
I note also that in her attack on ADFA, “discrimination” won silver in the word count of buzzwords. Like the man said, it’s what she does best.
I would not want to criticise such an august organisation but, were I to do so the phrases oxygen thieves and wasters of space would come to mind.
HRT
22 Feb 13 at 9:08 pm
Abbott and the Coalition have an historic opportunity to start winding back (preferably demolishing) the whole anti freedom/creeping stalinism magilla. Not only will they have a massive majority in the lower house (a Mandate, I tells ya!) they will in all likelihood control the senate.
A short wishlist:
Abolition of the HRC
Abolition of the territory governments
Abolition of taxmania as a state – make it a territory
Abolition of realms of unintelligible, incoherent, obnoxious, intrusive legislation
Abolition of Australia’s membership of the UN and all associated treaties
Abolition of red and green tape in states/territories and local governments
Restoration of property rights
Enforcement of the law, lengthy jail terms for criminals and removal of incompetent, subversive leftist idiots from judges’ and magistrates’ positions
Etc, Etc, Etc.
Enough, FFS. This creeping totalitarianism is giving me the utter fucking proverbials.
Rabz
22 Feb 13 at 9:09 pm
You forgot the Climate Commission, Rabster.
Abbott should make Flannery’s pay-out dependent on him overseeing the abolition.
Newmanesque humiliation.
C.L.
22 Feb 13 at 9:18 pm
Fair enough, CL!
Very remiss of me.
Rabz
22 Feb 13 at 9:19 pm
Rabz, kick Tasmania out, don’t make it a territory. The Feds don’t need another playground.
Driftforge
22 Feb 13 at 9:25 pm
Drifty – A better idea:
Declare Taxmania a “special economic zone” with tax concessions, incentives for business startups, absolute revocation of greenfilth idiocy and massive expansion of farming, fishing, logging, manufacturing, mining and long shelved hydro projects, for starters.
From these simple initiatives, prosperity will flow.
Rabz
22 Feb 13 at 9:38 pm
Yeah, we are sort of planning along those lines for next year regardless. Federal accession to that intent would be a bonus..
Driftforge
22 Feb 13 at 9:46 pm
Drifty – are you from Taxmania? If so, then keep getting in the Coalition’s ear about the proposals!
Rabz
22 Feb 13 at 9:55 pm
Yes, and I continue to do so. As well as a couple of other things that will hopefully lead somewhere over time.
Driftforge
22 Feb 13 at 10:06 pm
Great stuff, Drifty – you have my support – I’ve been to Taxmania and loved it.
But not as a museum piece and/or theme park.
Rabz
22 Feb 13 at 10:23 pm
It seems the interfering influence of the old Methodists and Puritans continues on in the DNA of their secular descendents.
And Rabz has a little list. Time for the Lord High Executioner to make an appearance.*
* Not a death threat
Megan
22 Feb 13 at 10:41 pm
It seems the interfering influence of the old Methodists and Puritans continues on in the DNA of their secular descendants.
And Rabz has a little list. Time for the Lord High Executioner to make an appearance.*
* Not a death threat
Megan
22 Feb 13 at 10:42 pm
Apologies for the two posts. My MacBook is behaving like a surly teenager. Although the HRC could do with being removed twice.
Megan
22 Feb 13 at 10:43 pm
Just rename them Minority Rights Commission. At least that’s honest.
Gab
22 Feb 13 at 10:44 pm
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I’ve got a little list — I’ve got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed — who never would be missed!
There’s Human Rights Commissioners and similar buffoons
Greeny watermelons and associated hoons
And lefties who are thick as turd but talk about nuance
Or ministers who think they’re smart but can neither sing nor dance
And whining TV pundits who on carbon tax insist
I’ve got them on the list,
I’m sure they’ll not be missed
I’m sure they’ll not be missed
Rococo Liberal
22 Feb 13 at 10:58 pm
Thanks RL. I’m memorising the lyrics for future performances.
Megan
22 Feb 13 at 11:18 pm
Agree Steve of FH. It’s the invocation of “international instruments” that become the feed lot for the rights industry, the illegal immigrant industry and the aboriginal industry.
It’s Time; time Australia unsigned a few of those troublemaking treaties and got out from under the ridiculous downstream antics of people like Broderick.
Blogstrop
23 Feb 13 at 7:10 am
I agree with Steve of FH, fire a shot across the bows on election night and go to a DD on the whole boiling lot- use the boats coming as the match for the UN conflaguration and the carbon tax as the core reason for the double dissolution.
Forture favours the brave.
MT Isa Miner
23 Feb 13 at 7:44 am
We need to keep reminding ourselves that the Coalition will NOT deliver on many of the things that it needs to do. Abbott will turn out to be a Fraser. All talk, no action.
johno
23 Feb 13 at 8:25 am
The reason there are so few complaints about free speech is that everybody knows that it is an utter waste of time because the ‘Human Rights’ Commission – the government’s very own GetUp! – is just another part of the Left’s regime of oppression.
Every time you hear leftists say ‘free speech with responsibility’, you know it really means ‘free speech provided you agree with us’.
Free speech IS an absolute right, but if you cause harm – real harm and not just hurt feelings – defamation and incitement laws come into play. You have an absolute right to express opinions, but if you cause real harm you must pay for the harm you do. But if you have laws that try to modify that absolute right you then allow anyone to make ambit claims and have their complaints decided according to the subjective beliefs of politically appointed ideologues. In other words, you have political oppression.
But it is a waste of time debating the subject. The Left invented this regime for two purposes: first, so they they had a threat (and it is the threat, rather than any legal action, that is the means of oppression) to hold over us to make us afraid to express opinions, and, second, out of their hate driven desire to vandalise our society AND rub our faces in it while they are doing it.
But, as I said, it is a waste of time talking about it. All of the Liberal state premiers are too scared of the Left to abolish their ‘offence’ laws and tribunals, and the federal Liberals are too cowardly to come out and say they will abolish the AHRC and all anti-free-speech laws. The Left have won. This country is finished.
Barry
23 Feb 13 at 8:33 am
Jeremiah, you said:
But if you read Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights 1688 (yes we do have one already) etc you find that the documents actually Pre-Suppose the existence of the rights as an innate human attribute.
The document restrains a ruling authority from abusing them, and commits same to be accountable for breaches. Notice that they all seem to have arisen out of some political conflict over abuses of near-absolute power masquerading as “authority” whereas the UN Charters were developed by bureaucrats.
John A
23 Feb 13 at 8:45 am
Quite so. The modern charter or rights is envisaged as meaning whatever the wielder wants it to mean. A living document if you will. What could go wrong?
Entropy
23 Feb 13 at 9:13 am
The HRC are there to fight for human rights…. against what, non-humans?
Perhaps this means incidents like shark attacks? Silly PC name, Abbott needs to shred the entire useless organisation.
Chris M
23 Feb 13 at 9:27 am