Australian Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs has bluntly refused to kowtow to “personal attacks” and the Coalition’s increasing pressure to urge for her resignation, after appearing on ABC radio this morning.
This morning, Triggs confirmed she could handle the flying daggers, claiming the attack on HRC’s work was the real point of concern.
“I’m reasonably tough, I can cope with this. But it’s damaging in the sense that it’s not about me, it’s about the work we’re doing.”
Reasonably tough would be an understatement. Last week, Immigration minister Peter Dutton labelled Triggs as a “disgrace,”; earlier this year, Prime Minister Tony Abbott slammed the HRC’s extensive report on children in Australian detention centres, Forgotten Children, as a “blatantly partisan” exercise. Yesterday, Senator George Brandis claimed the government had “lost confidence” in Triggs, citing a need for the HRC President to “be above partisan politics”.
“Were I to succumb to these highly personal responses to the work of the commission, that would undermine the independence of the commission. Were I to receive warm and congratulatory words from the government on a constant basis I think that taxpayers would be justified in asking for my resignation because I wouldn’t be doing my job.”
Women’s rights group Destroy The Joint has recently launched a campaign, #IStandWithGillian, encouraging Australians to nominate Gillian Triggs for Australian of the Year. Withstanding “multiple attacks by the Federal Government on her professionalism and on her advocacy” and fending off criticism “for just doing her job” has earned Triggs a nomination, according to Destroy The Joint.
On Wednesday, the United Nations politely asked for Australia to cease releasing the proverbial hounds whenever Triggs sets foot upon the Government’s proverbial lawn.
But on it continues.
Via SMH.
