Graeme Innes AM

Recent Speaker

outgoing Race Discrimination Commissioner

August 9, 2011

"I’m not racist, but…: Zero tolerance or zero acknowledgement"

Australia is not a racist country. That is the way we like to think of ourselves. It is also a quality our governments and media cite as a great characteristic of our nation.

Yet, over the decades we have seen waves of immigrants experience race related difficulties when settling here. Most recently, people from African Australian backgrounds, from Middle Eastern regions and of diverse religious beliefs, as well as international students, particularly from South Asia, have encountered challenges. Their experiences have made it into our national headlines and invited debate from our politicians and community groups. In 2007, we experienced one of the most controversial developments in Indigenous Policy our nation has ever seen with the implementation of the Northern Territory Intervention – a policy that saw the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act for Aboriginal people. Further, the internet has emerged as the new arena in the battle against racism. Cyber racism is not just a problem in Australia, but one faced around the world.

With these issues playing out on our national stage and the federal Government implementing our first effective national Multicultural Policy in 15 years, outgoing Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, will reflect on where we need to go and the importance of better connecting with the communities involved if we are to find effective solutions.

Graeme Innes has been Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner since December 2005. During that time he has also served as Australia's Human Rights Commissioner for three and a half years and as Race Discrimination Commissioner for two years.

Graeme is a Lawyer, Mediator and Company Director. He has been a Human Rights Practitioner for 30 years in NSW, WA and nationally.

As Commissioner, Graeme has led or contributed to the success of a number of initiatives. These have included the Same Sex: Same Entitlements inquiry, which resulted in removal of discrimination across federal law; the drafting of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and its ratification by Australia; the development of the National Disability Strategy and the Disability (Access to Premises – buildings) Standards 2010; as well as establishment of the Lifetime Housing Foundation. Graeme has also been an active high profile advocate for the implementation of cinema captioning and audio descriptions and, as Human Rights Commissioner, undertook three annual inspections of Australia’s Immigration Detention facilities.

Graeme has been a Member of the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal; the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal; and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. He has also been a Hearing Commissioner with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Graeme was Chair of the Disability Advisory Council of Australia, and the first Chair of Australia's national blindness agency, Vision Australia.

In 1995 Graeme was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). In 2003, he was a finalist for Australian of the Year.

Graeme is married with an adult son and a daughter in primary school. He enjoys cricket (as a spectator) and sailing (as a participant), and relaxes by drinking fine Australian white wine