Victoria - Proposal for a Charter of Rights

Campaign Status: COMPLETED

The Victorian government passed the Charter of Human Rights and responsibilities in July 2006.

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May 2006 - The Victorian government introduced their Bill for a 'Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities' into the parliament.
Rob Hulls gave the Second Reading Speech on 4 May 2006. It was debated around the end of May 2006.

For all the details and action of the debate and vote on this legislation we set up a separate page: Click here.

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Victorian Charter of Human Rights
By Charles Francis AM, QC, RFD
Charles analyses the process and the content of the proposed Victorian Charter of Rights'.
He begins....

"So far inAustralia there has been singularly little demand for a Bill of Rights from the ordinary man. The demand appears to come primarily from judicial and social activists and from some vocal minority groups. These groups frequently have agendas which are contrary to what the majority of citizens want. They are well aware that their objectives are unlikely to be achieved by the ordinary democratic legislative process. Far too often the agendas are those of a permissive society....."

Victorian Charter of Rights By Charles Francis AM, QC, RFD

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1 March 2006 - The Victorian government is proceeding with their proposal for a Charter of Rights...

The Committee established by Attorney-Gen Rob Hulls handed their report to the parliament on 20 Dec 2005 and immediately Mr Hulls said the government would implement the proposal for a Charter of Rights.

Click here for the Committee's report, including the wording for the proposed Charter.

A number of people have since written against the Charter:

Babette Francis

Charter from another century

Herald Sun 1/3/06

Peter Faris QC
He had an article and has set up a blog to comment on Human Rights Charters.
Click here for his page on the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.

After the Charter began on 1 January 2008, he had an article in the Herald Sun :

Peter Faris: Lawyers' picnic for your rights - Herald Sun, 1 Jan 2008.

Alan Anderson, Melbourne lawyer.

The wrongs of pushing a bill of rights

The Age, by Alan Anderson, Opinion, January 4, 2006. Click here.

The Rule of Lawyers
Longer article in the Centre for Independent Studies, Policy, Summer 2006. Click here.

Prof Augusto Zimmermann

"The Wrongs With a Charter of Rights For Victoria"

A shorter article was published in Salt Shakers journal, Feb 2006 titled:

Reasons for Rejecting a Victorian Charter of Rights: A Christian Perspective

BUT the Chairman of the Committee Prof George Williams (a long-time advocate of a Charter of Rights) is promoting the cause...
Victoria leads the way on a 'Bill of Rights'
By George Williams - Online Opinion posted Thursday, 22 December 2005.
Click here if you really want to read what he says!

ACTION: Contact your MPs!!!

Victorians, please write to AND/OR VISIT your MPs: one in the Legislative Assembly, two in the Legislative Council.
Also write to Robert Doyle, Liberal Leader, Peter Ryan (Nationals), Russell Savage and Craig Ingram (Independents), Premier Steve Bracks and Attorney-General Rob Hulls. Parliament House, Melbourne, Vic 3002.

Click herefor contact details of MPs, including email addresses.

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Charter of Rights Discussion paper
July 2005 -Rob Hulls, Victoria's Attorney-General, has released a "Human Rights Community Discussion Paper" on his proposals for a Victorian Charter of Rights....

The Discussion Paper is on the Justice Department website...
Click here. The Paper is listed on the right hand side.
Full details and links

Submissions are DUE on 1 August (but will be accepted after that).

The Committee is to report back by November 2005.

Ten key questions - ranging from 'do we need a Charter of Rights', to 'what rights should be protected' are asked. Unfortunately most of the questions suggest you are in favour of the proposal.
We recommend telling the government that we DO NOT support a Charter of Rights. As Peter said last week, our rights are God-given and we have 'responsibilities'.
As soon as rights are 'conferred' by governments they actually start removing rights.
In the ACT, their Bill of Rights limits the right to life by STATING that it starts FROM birth!
Homosexual groups are already holding WORKSHOPS to help people write submissions SUPPORTING their proposals. So you start to see the direction this will take...

YOUR input is invited! Some groups, including the Council of Churches and ethnic groups, are ALREADY promoting a Charter of Rights, but are saying that NOT ENOUGH rights are included in the Discussion Paper!

An outline of points you might include is attached below...
Please prepare a short letter/submission (even ONE page would be good) telling the government your views.
Submission could be sent by email/web/post...
Web: www.justice.vic.gov.au/humanrights
Post: Human Rights Consultation Committee, Department of Justice, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002.

The Committee
In our June 2005 journal we highlighted the fact that the Chairman of the Committee is Professor George Williams. He has actively campaigned for an Australian Bill of Rights for many years.
Although the government claims this is an "Independent" committee the appointment of George Williams removes that 'independence'.

Article
The article "A Charter of Rights for Victoria?" (which was printed in our June 2005 journal) is attached below.
It includes details about the proposal as well as information on the Committee.

Bill Muehlenberg has written an excellent paper listing TEN REASONS why a Charter of Rights is not a good idea.

"What is wrong with a Bill of Rights?"

You may make use of the article as you prepare a submission - but it important that your submission/letter is your ideas written in your own words.