Human rights? wrong...
ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has called on the ACT Government to match the ambition of its Human Rights Act with its day to day practice on the ground.
"Tomorrow we will be supporting an important amendment to the Human Rights Act, to give people the right to take action in the Supreme Court against ACT Government agencies who have contravened their human rights" Dr Foskey said today.
"At the same time, the Government plans to remove the right for people to ask the Attorney General for legal assistance when appealing Government decisions at the AAT (Administrative Appeals Tribunal.)"
"Government agencies, of course, have unlimited legal resources when they appear before the AAT."
"The irony that we are giving people a right of action in the Supreme Court with one hand and taking away their opportunity to be legally represented at the AAT with the other is a pointed one."
"After all, the sacrifice of human rights for administrative convenience is particularly offensive."
"One of my constituents is contesting important issues with Housing ACT including the treatment of victim of crime compensation and the definition of business costs, but he needs legal assistance in order to put the case to the AAT properly."
"As well as the personal significance of the matters, there is broad public interest in having them determined by the Tribunal."
"For an individual on a disability pension dealing with complex issues to have no option but to represent himself against a government's unlimited legal team is unfair."
"Human Rights are not abstract things. They boil down to concrete decisions and outcomes."
"I would hope the ACT Government will now re-consider this matter carefully to ensure its internal practices and its management of the Territory's legislation conform to the ambition of the Human Rights Act" Dr Foskey said.
