IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT FOR AUSTRALIA CAMPAIGN (HRAAC)

I have received the following update from Susan Ryan, AO, Chair HRAAC inc:

"Dear Human Rights Act Supporter,

I have been greatly encouraged by the community response to the Brennan Panel.

Over 10000 submissions have already been received by the Panel and I am sure they are in no doubt that most Australians, from all backgrounds, care greatly about human rights and want significantly better protection.

We are presently reviewing our Model Bill and plan to make this the core of the HRAAC submission to the Brennan Panel, illustrating how Australia can enjoy the protection of effective laws while still leaving parliamentary lawmaking powers intact.

The HRAAC continues its advocacy work, started back in 2005, by addressing forums, collecting and publishing relevant material and making the parliament aware of our shared views. I have remained actively engaged in this public debate, in person and over the the media.

We have joined with over 70 other organisations to form a national network, the Australian Human Rights Group, (AHRG) thus greatly multiplying the numbers of supporting individuals and bodies, and growing our information base.

The HRAAC’s web-site facilitates access and links to a broad range of human rights information from Australia and overseas. It highlights important developments and lists key human rights events being organized around Australia. There are also links to our youth portal, humanrightsact-TV and to the AHRG page.

I do urge all of you who may have not yet done so, to make your submissions to the Brennan panel and to encourage your friends and acquaintances to do the same. Please check the Get Involved section of the our web-site if you need help on how to do this.

I also encourage you to write letters to the newspapers and to call talk back radio. Our opponents, few as they are, are becoming increasingly vocal and have unlimited access to the media to repeat their wrong headed and misleading claims.

Progress has been good but we cannot slow down at this crucial time. Thank you for your support thus far and please let me know what more we can do to achieve our objective, a Human Rights Act for Australia."

If you are interested in human rights please get involved with this campaign.