Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Why is the government refusing to replace outgoing Disability Discrimination Commissioner Mr Graeme Innes with a full-time commissioner who has an understanding and experience of disability issues and is dedicated full-time to promoting the rights of Australians with a disability?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am extremely surprised that Senator Singh would criticise the government for not replacing Mr Innes with a full-time commissioner because, Senator Singh, for the entirety of the period of the previous government, for every single day there was not a day on which the Human Rights Commission was fully constituted. For every single day of the previous Labor government one or more of the human rights commissioners had a double commission. And, Senator Singh, I am particularly surprised that you would be criticising the government for not intending to replace Mr Innes with a full-time commissioner, because for most of the period of the Labor government in which you served Mr Innes held two portfolios. Mr Innes was from 2005 until 2009 the Disability Discrimination Commissioner but during those periods he also acted as the Race Discrimination Commissioner and the Human Rights Commissioner respectively.

Senator Singh, I heard your speech in the matters of public interest session earlier today when you said that it was shameful that Mr Innes was not being replaced by a full-time commissioner. If it is shameful, why was it not shameful that for most of the period of the Labor government Mr Innes held two portfolios?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is entitled to be heard in silence. If there are supplementary questions, you have got the time then. If you wish to debate it, it is after 3 o'clock.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That, by the way, Senator Singh, included the entirety of the time for which responsibility for disabilities was held by Mr Bill Shorten when he was parliamentary secretary for disabilities. For the entire time that Mr Shorten had responsibility for this area Mr Innes served as both the Disability Discrimination Commissioner and the Race Discrimination Commissioner. So I am very surprised to hear this criticism come from your side of politics. (Time expired)

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. I refer to evidence at estimates that the position of a disability discrimination commissioner has a full 60-hour-week workload. Why is this government so dismissive of the rights of Australians with a disability that they would downgrade this role to a part-time position?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The role will not be downgraded. The role will be treated with the same respect as it was treated when you were in office and when the Disability Discrimination Commissioner also served as the Race Discrimination Commissioner. Might I say, Senator Singh, while we are treating the Human Rights Commission, with respect, why was it that while your side of politics was in power the role of Human Rights Commissioner was left entirely vacant? The fact is that, as I said in answer to your primary question, there was not a day during the life of your government when the roles of all the human rights commissioners were fully constituted and for more than a year before you went out of office the role of human rights commissioner was allowed to fall entirely vacant. The first Attorney-General to fully constitute the Human Rights Commission happens to be me.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer to a recent open letter by Mr Innes, who wrote that '37 per cent of discrimination complaints relate to disability and 45 per cent of people with disabilities live in poverty'. Given that the so-called Freedom Commissioner, Tim Wilson, will be taking responsibility for freedom issues around disability, can the Attorney-General confirm that the most vulnerable in our society will be free to experience discrimination and nothing more?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The only difference between the way in which the Human Rights Commission is being treated by our government and the way in which it was treated by the previous government is that, under this government, the Human Rights Commission will be fully constituted and all the portfolios will be filled in the way they never were under the previous Labor government. I can confirm that the name of a person to serve as the Disability Discrimination Commissioner when Mr Innes retires at the beginning of July will be announced soon. On behalf of the government, I thank Mr Innes for his service.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.