Human rights commissioner accuses Labor of poor human rights record

Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay has accused Anthony Albanese of failing to deliver on Australia’s human rights commitments despite touting Labor’s track record.

Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay.

Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay has accused ­Anthony Albanese of failing to ­deliver on Australia’s human rights commitments despite touting Labor’s track record advocating for a rules-based order on the global stage.

Ms Finlay attacked the Prime Minister after a scathing UN report found Australia had made ­little progress under its treaty ­obligations to prevent torture in prisons and detention centres.

She accused Mr Albanese of contravening the UN’s Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which is ­designed to protect the rights of all people in detention including in prisons, youth detention centres, immigration detention, hospitals and mental health and aged-care facilities.

Signatories are required to put in place mechanisms to prevent torture and inhumane treatment of people in detention as well as implement crime-prevention ­programs.

Ms Finlay questioned whether Mr Albanese was really committed to protecting human rights as he had claimed in a recent address to the Lowy Institute.

“I think the first thing Australia needs to do is deliver on our human rights commitments, because we can hardly ask other countries to put themselves up for international scrutiny if we are not prepared to comply with our own obligations,” Ms Finlay said.

“The fact is that Australia is one of only two countries which has ever had a visit by the UN terminated and the fact is we talk a lot about the importance of the rules based international order, we talk a lot about leadership rights but we actually have to live up to those standards before we call on other countries to do that.”

“The report highlights that there are serious human rights ­issues that need to be addressed within Australia.”

A spokesman for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government “takes its human rights obligations very seriously” and was working to respond to ­issues raised by the UN.

In an address to the Lowy Institute this month, Mr Albanese claimed Australia would not compromise on its commitment to human rights as the federal government sought to rebuild its relationship with China.

“We’ve put a focus on rebuilding dialogue – and my visit to Beijing and Shanghai last month was another step in this process,” Mr Albanese said in the speech.

“To advocate for the rules-based order, to assert our commitment to human rights and to affirm the peace and stability that has benefited both our nations.”

The UN torture prevention body in February abandoned its trip to Australia after NSW and Queensland blocked access to some state-run facilities. Rwanda is the only other country where a visit has been cancelled.

Following its inspection visit to Australia, the UN described a number of serious concerns it observed from its visit including systemic understaffing, arbitrary use of restraints, a “trend of over securitisation” in places of detention and poor conditions. It also noted a severe over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and ineffective programs to promote the prevention of crimes at a community level.

The report also described a “discourteous and, in some cases, hostile” reception from government authorities and officials.

Ms Finlay said Australia must urgently deliver on its commitment it made six years ago when it ratified the treaty. “For too many years, federal and state governments have blamed each other for the failure to deliver on Australia’s OPCAT commitments. Instead of blaming each other they need to start working together to deliver tangible results,” she said.