Professor Larissa Behrendt today joined Greens MP David Shoebridge to launch a proposed NSW Bill of Rights. They were joined outside NSW Parliament by representatives from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), Redfern Legal Centre, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and Community Legal Centres who also back the Greens call for NSW to adopt a comprehensive Bill of Rights.
Greens MP and justice spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
“With Victoria and the ACT having recently introduced a Bill of Rights it’s time to do so in NSW. The current Labor Attorney-General is opposed to human rights legislation and the shadow Attorney has yet to make the Coalition’s position clear on the matter.
“The Greens drafted a Bill of Rights following extensive consultation with community groups, legal associations, civil liberties groups, gay and lesbian rights groups, the Aboriginal community and members of the public.
“Australia is one of the few advanced democracies in the world that does not protect its citizens’ rights to essential freedoms in a core bill of rights.
“NSW urgently needs a Bill of Rights to ensure our civil liberties are properly protected in law. Many other jurisdictions already have this protection including the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
”Without a Bill of Rights we give a free rein to governments of all political colours to whittle away our rights to express dissent, to organise and to protest.
”Any Bill of Rights must guarantee as a minimum the freedom of assembly, freedom from torture and freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. The Greens NSW are also calling for a right to shelter, to food and to clean water.
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