President’s foreword This is the Final Report of Free & Equal: A National Conversation on Human Rights. It sets out a reform agenda to modernise how we protect human rights in Australia to meet the challenges of 21st century life. No matter who we are or what our life circumstances are, we all have the right to be treated with respect and dignity by our government, the people that work for it, and by our fellow community members. The Commission’s overarching finding in this Inquiry is that Australia can, and should, do better in protecting human rights. The Commission makes 12 recommendations that focus on large, structural reforms at the national level to be advanced through the introduction of a National Human Rights Framework. Such a Framework will create transparency and better accountability for the consideration of human rights, and better tools for people in Australia to stand up for their human rights when they are breached. The title of this report refers to the need for Australia to revitalise our commitment to human rights. The report proposes a major reset on how we talk about human rights, and in how they are protected. The measures proposed in this report complement each other, to ensure that our national approach to human rights is comprehensive and balanced. We need better awareness of human rights and a more proactive focus on them from government and decision makers. But critically, we also need more effective legal protections for when people’s rights are not respected and for when they are discriminated against. Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM FAAL President, Australian Human Rights Commission 6 FREE & EQUAL: Revitalising Australia’s Commitment to Human Rights