The People's Charter

Australian Bill of Rights

One might imagine that any move to entrench rights in Australia could only be a good thing but experience overseas and in Victoria with a state bill of rights has shown otherwise:

+ Our liberty to express what we believe can be interpreted as hate speech or vilification
+ Our freedoms are in fact curtailed
+ Rights of minority groups sometimes extinguish long – cherished liberties that fair-go Australians have taken for granted.

Australians have twice rejected at referendum inserting bills of rights into our constitution in 1944 and 1988. Two attempts to introduce statutory bills – without having to go to referendum – have also come to naught in 1973 and 1986.