Jellyback

Paul Keating, renowned for his vision, courage and taste in clocks, once criticised an opponent as suffering from jellyback ... being scared to take tough decisions in leading the way forward.

That epithet might be applied to the current national government, which alongside the "launch" of the Human Rights Framework noted in the preceding post of this blog, has announced that it will not be introducing a human rights act - no justiciable Bill of Rights, no Charter of Rights.

The Attorney-General is reported as stating that the Government believes a human rights framework, rather than legislation, is 'more appropriate'.

The Government believes that the enhancement of human rights should be done in a way that as far as possible unites rather than divides our community, and the framework is designed to achieve that outcome.

Nevertheless, as you'll see, the framework does reflect the key recommendations of the human rights consultation committee and we believe [it] will make a real difference.

Well, he would say that, wouldn't he, and perhaps even believe statements such as -

Strengthening the implementation of human rights through the adoption of the Framework will further enhance Australia's standing as an advocate for the protection and promotion of human rights in international settings, such as the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

The decision disregards the recommendation of the national human rights consultation panel headed by law professor Father Frank Brennan and drawing on cogent analysis by luminaries such as UC constitutional authority Dr Bede Harris, whose lucid A New Constitution For Australia (Cavendish, 2002) is essential reading for anyone interested in the field.

The decision is a lost opportunity to address fundamental ongoing concerns regarding human rights and is not greatly ameliorated by the announcement that "all new bills introduced to Parliament will have to be compatible with Australia's international human rights obligations", by the allocation of several million dollars for yet more glossy handouts in secondary school civics classes or the promise to develop "a new National Action Plan on Human Rights, to be lodged with the United Nations, to outline future action for the protection and promotion of human rights".

One particularly cruel contact thus rang me to say that at 3am in the morning, as a sign of his deep and undying devotion to humanity, he will announce that he will develop an Action Plan that will outline future good things. That Plan will have lots of pictures. It will be lodged with Santa, and there it will end.