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The 'Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission' (HREOC) is a national independent statutory body of the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation. According to its website, matters that can be investigated by the Commission include "''discrimination on the grounds of race, colour or ethnic origin, racial vilification, sex, sexual harassment, marital status, pregnancy, or disability.''" The Commission falls under the portfolio of the Attorney-General of Australia.

Contents

Commission Presidents

Legislation

Public inquiries

Gender identity and sexuality

External links

References

Commission Presidents

★ The Hon. John von Doussa (current)

★ Professor Alice Tay 1998 - 2003

★ Sir Ronald Wilson 1990 - 1998

★ Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld 1986 - 1990

Legislation

The Commission investigates alleged infringements under the following legislation:

★ ''Racial Discrimination Act 1975''

★ ''Sex Discrimination Act 1984''

★ ''Disability Discrimination Act 1992''

★ ''Age Discrimination Act 2004''

★ ''Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986''

Public inquiries

One of the more visible functions of the Commission is to conduct public inquiries. Some examples of inquires conducted include:

★ Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry into financial and workplace discrimination against same-sex couples

★ Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families

★ National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention

★ Homeless Children Inquiry

★ Pregnancy Discrimination Inquiry

★ Inquiry into the Accessibility of electronic commerce and new service and information technologies for older Australians and people with a disability

★ Inquiry into Human Rights and Good Governance Education in the Asia Pacific Region

★ MacLennan-Hookham suspension

Gender identity and sexuality

Private members, the Greens party and the Democrats party have tried to add "sexuality" and/or "gender identity" to the list of matters that can be investigated by the Commission, which has always failed to pass at least one house of parliament since 1995 and even today, because of a lack of support from the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition in the federal parliament.^[1]

External links

★ The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission website

References

1. http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=5948&display=1