Australians say human rights need better protection.

The Brennan Committee report to the Federal Government on the National Human Rights Consultation makes 31 Recommendations, 16 concerning action to protect and promote human rights more effectively and 15 about a Human Rights Act for Australia and the preferred model- the "dialogue" model allowing for judicial opinion concerning incompatibility, but Parliament at the end of the day to prevail, along the lines of models currently operating at state level in the ACT and Victoria. Rights in seven international treaties signed by Australia (subject to any claimed reservation) including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Articles 17 and 19 confer a right to privacy and to information respectively) should be protected and promoted; and the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression are among those listed for inclusion in the Act. The Chairman on ABC PM explained the proposed model and discussed what turned him from a self-confessed sceptic - it all makes welcome good sense to me.