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Melba CEO Hayley Dean says she supports calls for the Australian Government to establish a Human Rights Act.

“It’s about time that we as a democratic developed nation has a national Human Rights Act. To have human rights embodied into our legislation is long overdue,” she said.

“Melba is fully committed to protecting and upholding the human rights of all people, particularly those with disability. Human rights underpin everything we do.”

Hayley was speaking after the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights delivered its report to Parliament. The report, which is the result of a year-long inquiry, sets out 17 recommendations, including that “the government introduce legislation to establish a Human Rights Act”.

Hayley was supported by Monash University’s Professor of Law Paula Jerber and Professor, Faculty of Law Melissa Castan, who argue a federal Human Rights Act in Australia would “go a long way to fixing our current unequal and lopsided approach to protecting human rights”.

“Australia needs comprehensive laws that address the rights of all people across the country,” they said.

“Three of Australia’s eight states and territories have such acts, which means rights protection in Australia is a geographic lottery.”

You can read more on why Australia should legislate a Human Rights Act here.