The Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) has recommended new anti-discrimination legislation to further prevent sex discrimination and sexual harassment, particularly in the workplace.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said the QHRC had made 122 recommendations to strengthen and enhance the Anti-Discrimination Act after the Palaszczuk Government commissioned a review.
“It has been over 30 years since the Goss Government introduced Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Act. At the time, the legislation was ground-breaking, but three decades on our society is a different place with different values,” the Minister said.
“The QHRC’s Building Belonging report clearly shows it is essential our laws are protecting and promoting equality to the greatest extent possible.”
The Attorney-General said the report recommended reforms in a range of key areas, including a greater focus on the proactive prevention of discrimination and sexual harassment.
“Current anti-discrimination legislation is generally concerned with resolving complaints about discrimination that has already occurred, rather than preventing it from happening in the first place,” she said.
“The QHRC reforms would create legal obligations on individuals and organisations to actively take reasonable and proportionate steps to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and other discriminatory conduct as far as possible.
