Legislation to establish Age Discrimination Commissioner
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, has introduced legislation to establish an Age Discrimination Commissioner in the Australian Human Rights Commission.
This will mean, for the first time, a stand-alone Age Discrimination Commissioner will be able to advocate for the rights of older Australians in the community and workplace and handle complaints under the Age Discrimination Act.
“A dedicated Commissioner would tackle discrimination in getting a job, applying for a promotion, enrolling at a TAFE or university, applying to rent a house or using services such as banking, superannuation, insurance and government services,” Mr McClelland said.
Minister for Employment Participation, Kate Ellis, said the new Commissioner would encourage employers and the broader community to appreciate the important qualities and skills older Australians bring to the workplace and their communities.
“A new Commissioner that addresses the barriers to equality and participation faced by mature workers will complement the work of the Government’s Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation,” Ms Ellis said.
Under the legislation, the new Commissioner would take office from 1 July 2011. The Government will conduct a transparent and merit-based appointment process for this position.
