RELEGATING the age discrimination commissioner’s role to a part-time position discounts the rights of older people and is a backward step.
COTA Australia chief executive Ian Yates made the comments after federal budget cuts reduced the number of human rights commissioners, resulting in Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes not being replaced when his term ended in July.
Age Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan will take on both roles at a time when ageing and disability policy areas are undergoing major change.
Mr Yates said the move cut into the already limited time available for the commissioner to carry out her work improving the rights of seniors and fighting age discrimination.
The Disability Discrimination Commissioner deals with almost 40 per cent of all complaints received by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
“Ageism and age discrimination against any age group should not be acceptable in Australia in the 21st century,” Mr Yates said.
“Susan Ryan has been a strong advocate for the rights and wellbeing of older people but there‘s just no way one person can tackle the workload necessary to effectively deal with both age and disability discrimination.
“We argued for years to get the full-time age discrimination commissioner position, because it was always clear that the workload demanded a full-time appointment.
“Tackling age discrimination is too big, too urgent and too important to be relegated to a part-time role that will require the commissioner to daily juggle critical and complex issues.”
