The McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer welcomes the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights’ recommendation for strengthened human rights framework in Australia, particularly the introduction of a national human rights act as a central action.
A national human rights act will have a significant impact on the lives and wellbeing of all Australians affected by cancer and is an important step towards protecting the right to health for all. That’s why, as part of the McCabe Centre and Cancer Council Australia’s submission to the Inquiry we recommended that a human rights act be introduced.
Australia has long lagged behind other countries when it comes to formal human rights protections. In fact, Australia remains the only democracy in the world without a national human rights act or constitutional bill of rights. Despite popular support for a national human rights act, we’ve historically relied on a patchwork of federal and state-based laws that are ineffective in protecting the rights of people affected by cancer across the country.
McCabe Centre Director Hayley Jones said the report’s recommendation was encouraging.
“Everyone should have access to quality health care regardless of their income or postcode, and be able to enjoy a safe and healthy home life,” she said.
“So we are particularly pleased to see that the Committee has recommended specifically including the right to health in the act. Strengthening our human rights framework would help reduce the inequities we see in the cancer burden in Australia.”
A national human rights act would mean that governments and policy makers must consider human rights, including the human rights of people affected by cancer, when developing new policies and laws as a priority, rather than as an afterthought.
Service providers like Medicare and Centrelink, which are vital to people living with cancer, their families and carers, would have to be more responsive to their clients’ human rights. It would also help ensure people affected by cancer are able to live a life free from discrimination and have improved healthcare experiences.
McCabe Centre Treatment and Supportive Care Manager Tarishi Desai said it was a critical step towards improving the lives and wellbeing of all Australians affected by cancer and to building a future free from preventable cancers.
“The recommendations included in the Inquiry’s report are heartening and are long overdue.,” she said.
“At its very core, a national human rights act would help ensure people can live a life of dignity, equality, respect and safety. Just as importantly, it would provide a basic safeguard so people could also take action and seek justice if their rights (such as the right to health) are violated.”
The time is right to introduce an Australian human rights act so we can see improvements for the lives of all Australians, including people affected by cancer.
You can read the Inquiry’s report here.
You can read our submission to the Inquiry here