“Older Queenslanders deserve to have their human rights upheld, be valued and respected in our society. Particularly those who may have declining health and cognitive abilities” said COTA Queensland Chief Executive Mark Tucker-Evans.
So what is it?
A Human Rights Act is about the relationship between government and people. By introducing a Human Rights Act the Queensland Government is binding itself to a commitment to protect, respect and fulfil human rights.
Protections offered by a Human Rights Act will also have relevance for particular groups of people- including older people.
The Government introduced the Human Rights Bill 2018 into Parliament on 31 October 2018.
The Bill was referred to the Parliamentary Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, which conducted an inquiry into the Bill and provided a report to Parliament on 4 February 2019. Access the Committee’s report here.
The Committee has recommended that the Bill be passed into law. We will provide a further update when it becomes available.
