Father Frank Brennan © Australian Catholic University
Ask Frank a question
7 October 2009, 12:47PM
On Wednesday 14 October after his Canberra Press Club presentation, Consultation Committee Chair Father Frank Brennan sat down for a chat with Amnesty Campaign Coordinator Jenny Leong. Jenny asked questions from Amnesty supporters about the Human Rights Consultation Committee's report and the consultation process. You can see all of the great questions submitted below.
Please check out our videos of Frank's responses (unfortunately we weren't able to get to all 57 questions! Thank you to everyone who took this opportunity to talk with the Chair of Australia's biggest ever public consultation.
Return to the main Human Rights Act for Australia campaign page
Comments
Don Stokes | Posted on 12 October 2009, 07:41PM | Report comment
Dear Frank,
How to you propose to ensure that Indigenous rights to culture, land and language are upheld in the proposed act?
Adem | Posted on 12 October 2009, 07:05PM | Report comment
I think also that it’s time to act. When Franck will urge the Governement to take the Human Rights act?
Kate | Posted on 12 October 2009, 06:55PM | Report comment
Frank, what kind of discussions do you think we could have with each other now that will support the introduction and implementation of the Human Rights Act in Australia?
Deborah Robins | Posted on 12 October 2009, 06:47PM | Report comment
A right to basic quality of life? It is frustrating that our health system worries that our “pioneers” (young men with Duchenne (DMD, 1: 3,300 males)who have managed unlike most peers to survive past adolescence will die in their sleep, by providing a medical aides subsidy for night ventilation, yet I cannot find funding to help them to breathe in the day. As a result when they get short of breath in the day they sit in their bedroom or in bed in the daytime too. Why isn’t there a subsidy so that they can buy a portable ventilator so they can interact in society by dragging on air from a straw when they feel the need? I don’t think our society values their right to life to leave them wane with such anxiety despite skills and talents. They can still speak (without a mask) and use a computer. Why do we give them nightime rights but not daytime rights? I don’t understand why they can not interact in the world without anxiety?
Ann Gregory | Posted on 12 October 2009, 06:11PM | Report comment
THANK YOU Scott. I support your question 100%
Scott Davis | Posted on 12 October 2009, 05:41PM | Report comment
Has anyone else raised the spectre of Police officers sending people to jail by fabricating evidence, and how will a Federal Human Rights Act address this issue?
Rosemary Walters | Posted on 12 October 2009, 05:38PM | Report comment
Hi Frank, Thanks for all the hard work that you and your team did. What is the best way to teach the most dispossessed adults about human rights and their concomitant responsibilities?
Ann Gregory | Posted on 12 October 2009, 05:29PM | Report comment
When will the Australia Governments stop persecuting and seriously harming and discriminating against whistle-blowers in Australia.
Ann Gregory | Posted on 12 October 2009, 05:27PM | Report comment
When will the Australia Federal Government respect and uphold the rights of all Whistle-blowers as in line with the UNODC treaty?
Jessica | Posted on 12 October 2009, 05:10PM | Report comment
Hi Frank, I was wondering how do YOU intend to develop human rights? What are some of your ideas for helping people around the world?
Thuy Tien Le | Posted on 12 October 2009, 04:58PM | Report comment
Hi Frank,
Just wanted to ask whether working class people, elderly persons and GLBT people had their say during the consults?
Assaad K Salame | Posted on 12 October 2009, 04:39PM | Report comment
it is very important to have the right to be different and your culture to be recpected. but more important to recpect other people culture, even more if you are anew member in this society. How the new poeple will respect the society culture?????
Ellen Worgan | Posted on 12 October 2009, 04:17PM | Report comment
Hi Frank - I was wondering if there is an interest in modelling a HRA on a similar document that already exists or if the Consultation Committee is focusing on the current human rights situation in Australia.
Jody Saxton-Barney | Posted on 12 October 2009, 04:09PM | Report comment
Hi Frank, I was wondering during the consults, how were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities and with language needs including deaf people give the opportunity to have their say?
Margit Alm | Posted on 12 October 2009, 04:08PM | Report comment
Hello Frank - My main concern is with ‘responsibilities’. There cannot be a ‘right’ without a responsibility. Responsibilities are usually poorly covered in Human Rights. I hope that any new Human Rights Act or Bill of Rights will rectify this.
James Krahorn | Posted on 12 October 2009, 10:53AM | Report comment
Hi Frank, can you tell us more about how the consultation reached people in remote places around Australia? What sorts of remote communities did you speak with? The numbers of consultation participants are great, but I think it’s really important that people are included in this discussion who can’t necessarily join mainstream debates as easily as people with good internet access and people in big cities.
Jenny Leong | Posted on 7 October 2009, 01:07PM | Report comment
Frank - tell us about the interest in the community for protecting economic, social and cultural rights