Kerry Rea (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General update the House on what the government is doing to protect and promote the rights of women, including on the international stage?

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. I know she has a deep commitment to removing discrimination against women. The Rudd government is strongly committed to the protection and promotion of women’s rights, both domestically and internationally. In fact, August this year marked the 25th anniversary of Australia’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, commonly known as CEDAW. In those 25 years much has been done. In particular, CEDAW provided the basis for very significant reforms, including the Sex Discrimination Act, which in 1984, some 24 years ago, made discrimination against women illegal. But it is time to do more and the Rudd government is taking another important step for the rights of Australian women.

Last week, in response to a national interest analysis which I tabled, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties recommended that Australia accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. I, along with the Minister for the Status of Women, have conducted wide-ranging consultations with state and territory governments and non-government organisations on the issue of Australia becoming a party to this important protocol. The responses we have received as a result of the consultations have been uniformly and overwhelmingly positive.

It is high time that Australia stood up on our international human rights responsibilities. It is quite hypocritical for us to expect of other nations standards that we are not ourselves prepared to meet. Regrettably, discrimination against women in our region of the world is rife, whether in the areas of employment, educational opportunity, maternity services, social rights or, in the worst-case scenarios, of which we are well aware, the prevalence of sexual trafficking in our region. We cannot call on others to rectify those measures unless we are prepared ourselves to set an example. It is therefore our hope that, before the end of this year, the Rudd government will be able to lodge our instrument of accession to this very important protocol.

Regrettably, however, the government has not been supported in this initiative by those opposite. While in government, those opposite ignored this and other important human rights instruments and effectively turned their back on the international community. Now they have submitted a dissenting report to the committee recommendation to sign up to this important protocol. It appears that the opposition still maintains its historical opposition to international human rights and, in particular and most regrettably, the rights of women. I ask those opposite to join with the government in taking this step for Australian women and for the strength of our regional and international human rights obligations.