HREOC --- "Irene Moss, Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner from 10 Dec 1986 to 31 May 1994" [1994] AboriginalLawB 21; (1994) 3(68) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Irene Moss, Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner From 10 Dec 1986 To 31 May 1994

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Irene Moss, Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner from 10 Dec 1986 to 31 May 1994

As Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner, Irene Moss has made a major contribution in raising the collective consciousness about racism in Australian society today.

As she pointed out in the landmark report of the National Inquiry into Racist Violence (NIRV), the most intense and widespread racism - both institutional and individual - is directed towards Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, although other visibly different Australians also feel its effects.

The work that Irene has done over the past seven and a half years in generating research and publications about racism towards Aboriginal people is invaluable. Of equal importance was her pioneering role in exposing racist harassment and intimidation of Aboriginal communities by many within the police force.

Aboriginal people feel emboldened by her stance and enormously grateful to her for highlighting these problem areas where, before NIRV, few dared to tread. Although her loss to HREOC will be keenly felt, her depth of understanding of social issues and her commitment to social justice principles will make a great contribution to the NSW magistracy and the administration of justice in this state.

Pat O'Shane

Irene Moss was born in Chinatown (Sydney). She studied Arts and Law at the University of Sydney, completed her articles at law firms, and went on to complete a Masters of Law at Harvard University.

In 1977, Irene joined the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, becoming Chief Conciliator in a number of landmark social justice cases.

With the creation of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) in 1986, Irene was appointed the first Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner. On the exp ry of her seven-year term in December 1993, she was asked by the Attorney-General to stay for another year; however, she took up a position with the NSW Magistracy on 1 June 1994.

During her years as the Race Discrimination Commissioner, Irene has worked tirelessly to address human rights issues such as racial discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of non-English speaking backgrounds. A chronology of her involvement with issues concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples follows:

1986 Appointment as first Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner with HREOC.

1987 Irene investigated riots involving police and Aboriginal people in Goondiwindi, and her preliminary report on the poverty and neglect which typified the Aboriginal communities in the area prompted a HREOC inquiry (the Toomelah Inquiry).

An Aboriginal Policy Advisor was appointed to provide regular advice on human rights issues involving Aboriginal people.

1988 The Toomelah Report indicated that inter-governmental conflict and bureaucratic inertia were responsible for substandard housing and grossly inadequate water and sewerage services. The Report made recommendations to a number of authorities addressing these problems.

• Following an apparent increase in organised racist attacks in different parts of Australia, Irene chaired a National Inquiry into Racist Violence (NIRV). At the time, the issue of racist violence was largely unacknowledged by the general public.

1989 The Commission had been monitoring follow-up activities since the Toomelah Report, and released the Toomelah Review, citing major infrastructure improvement. Given the findings of the original Toomelah Report about water and sanitation, and a number of similar complaints from other Aboriginal communities, Irene decided to commence a research project to ascertain the underlying causes of poor service provision. Field work for the project began in the middle of the year and continued strongly under the auspices of NIRV. Irene undertook a series of visits to communities throughout Australia, seeking the views of a wide cross-section of people and recording experiences of racism.

• An analysis of the complaints received under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) (RDA) showed that about half were employment-related. To promote a more positive response to the issue of racial discrimination in the workforce, Irene undertook, along with other initiatives, a co-operative project with business entitled Race Relations in the Workplace.

1990 Irene commissioned a study of the former asbestos mining town of Baryugil, investigating the effects of the mining operations on Aboriginal communities nearby. She found that failure of government authorities to take effective action to decontaminate the area constituted a gross disregard for the human rights of the residents.

• Irene addressed the problems in the provision of medical services to the Aboriginal community of Cooktown and nearby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander settlements in Far North Queensland. The problems were serious enough to warrant the Cooktown Inquiry, following which a series of recommendations was directed at State and Federal Health Departments.

• Following a raid on Redfern by police, Irene commissioned the Aboriginal-Police Relations In Redfern Report, which found that the raid constituted a serious act of racist violence. NIRV also commissioned the Aboriginal Juveniles and Police Violence Report.

• Irene was involved in the Community Relations Strategy planning a three-year campaign on multicultural relations.

1991 The Report of NIRV found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were subject to high levels of racist violence as a result of endemic racism, which implicated police and other institutions, and public and private levels of society.

• NIRV recommended the criminalisation of racist violence and intimidation.

• The Inquiry into Race Discrimination, Human Rights and Distribution of Alcohol in the Northern Territory was commissioned as a result of community concerns about alcohol abuse.

• The Race Discrimination Commission visited Mornington Island to consult with the local communities regarding an incident with police.

1992 As a result of NIRV's findings on the media's divisive role in racial issues, Irene launched a kit to inform Aboriginal people of their rights, and also released a guide for journalists reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other ethnic communities.

• A community education package and an anti-racism campaign using media and sport celebrities were among the chief projects operating in 1992.

1993 Irene joined the Human Rights Centre of the United Nations in hosting an international Conference on Combating Racism. The Mornington Island Report was released, and a review of its findings promised for 1994.

1994 A Report on the provision of water and sanitation to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was tabled in Federal Parliament. [The August 1994 issue of the AboriginalLB will publish an analysis of The Water Report.)

Before her departure from HREOC, Irene finished consultation, research and analysis for the Inquiry into the Distribution of Alcohol in the Northern Territory and the review of the Mornington Report. The latter will shortly be released.