Are human rights regressing on almost every front? Confronting some of the current social inclusion challenges

Abstract

In her final week as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner in July 2017, Professor Gillian Triggs noted that human rights in Australia are regressing on almost all fronts, having suggested the nation’s government appeared to be ideologically opposed to human rights (Triggs, 2017, as cited in Zlesak, 2017). The statement should stimulate discussion among decision-makers, academia, the media and society, more broadly – in the same way we hope that one of the main themes emerging in this edition about the relative disadvantage of first Australians promotes further consideration and action. Despite her warnings about the decline in human rights and social justice, however, and the significant expansion of executive powers in Australia, unsurprisingly, we have all continued-on in our busy lives and the 24/7 news cycle has rolled on too.