Robert Fitzgerald has been appointed Age Discrimination Commissioner. Photo: Supplied.
Robert Fitzgerald has been named as the nation’s next Age Discrimination Commissioner.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced the appointment on Tuesday, 6 February.
Mr Fitzgerald is the current Ageing and Disability Commissioner in NSW. He also served as a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and as President of the Australian Council of Social Service.
“I congratulate Mr Fitzgerald on his appointment and thank him for taking on this important role,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“Mr Fitzgerald has dedicated his life to serving the community and his direct, recent experience fighting for the rights of older Australians will be a great asset to the Australian Human Rights Commission.”
The Age Discrimination Commissioner leads the Commission’s work addressing barriers to equality and participation caused by age discrimination and protecting older Australians from discrimination on the basis of age in employment, education, accommodation and the provision of goods and services.
The five-year appointment will start on 2 April and fills the vacancy resulting from the conclusion of Kay Patterson’s appointment.
“I thank Dr Patterson for her contribution during her term of appointment, and Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM, President of the AHRC, for acting in the role throughout the merit-based selection process,” the A-G said.
Professor Croucher added the AHRC’s congratulations and welcomed Mr Fitzgerald’s appointment.
“We are extremely delighted by this appointment. On behalf of staff and commissioners, I warmly welcome Robert Fitzgerald as Age Discrimination Commissioner,” she said.
“For much of his adult life, and with high distinction, Mr Fitzgerald has served his communities, state, and country to better the lives of the most vulnerable.
“As a highly respected lawyer, human rights and social justice advocate, and a leading figure in the anti-discrimination space who has held several significant commissioner positions, he is the perfect person to take on this role to help advance the rights of older people.”
Mr Fitzgerald has been the NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner since 2019, and was previously an Australian Productivity Commissioner, NSW Community and Disability Services Commissioner, and Deputy Ombudsman.
He was chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Advisory Board and has served on NGO boards for more than 40 years – including The Benevolent Society, St Vincent de Paul Society, Caritas Australia, and Social Ventures Australia.
“Few can rival Mr Fitzgerald’s distinguished career in public policy and human rights advocacy,” Professor Croucher said.
“His expertise, acumen, compassion, and dedicated advocacy for human rights will make him a vital asset to the Commission. We look forward to having Commissioner Fitzgerald join us at such a critical time for Australia’s ageing population.”
The announcement of Mr Fitzgerald’s appointment comes a day after the Attorney-General named Giridharan Sivaraman as the incoming Race Discrimination Commissioner.
The Australian Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory organisation, established by an act of Federal Parliament to protect and promote human rights in Australia and internationally.
With age discrimination, the AHRC focuses on how such discrimination can affect people in employment, housing, healthcare and many other areas.
According to the Commission’s own website, the Age Discrimination Commissioner helps individuals and organisations understand their rights and meet their legal responsibilities.
The Commissioner’s work includes research, policy advice and education to remove the barriers to equality and participation faced by older Australians and young people.
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