Australia 2025 Election Questionnaire

Below is a question-by-question compilation of responses by the Australian Labor Party (ALP), the Liberal National Coalition and the Australian Greens. The Liberal National Coalition did not respond under each individual question but responded under relevant thematic subheadings. Human Rights Watch has matched their responses to the questions.

Human Rights Legislation

1. Australia is the only Western democracy without a national human rights act or charter. What is your position on a national Human Rights Act?

The Australian Labor Party said "Human rights are to be enjoyed by all. The Albanese Government is committed to protecting the human rights of all Australians. Under Labor, Australia was an original signatory to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Labor defends and advances the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration, both at home and abroad. The Albanese Government notes that Australia's international obligations have been incorporated into domestic law to the extent necessary to implement Australia's international human rights obligations. The Albanese Government has no plans to introduce a federal Human Rights Act."

The Liberal National Coalition said "Australians can be proud of our country's human rights record. Australia was one of the original signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has been a vocal advocate for human rights and freedoms, good governance and democratic institutions, particularly in our region. The Coalition has no plans to legislate a Human Rights Act."

The Australian Greens said "The Greens will use the model Human Rights Act produced by the Parliament's Human Rights Committee as the basis for a national Human Rights Bill 2025. This will protect essential civil and political rights like the right to life, to a fair trial and to be free from torture as well as the right to a safe environment, to education and social support."

Children's Rights

2. The age of criminal responsibility in most jurisdictions in Australia, including under federal law, is 10 years. The United Nations recommended minimum age of responsibility is 14 years. What is your position on raising the age of responsibility and were you to raise it, what steps would you take to work with states and territories to implement this change?

The Australian Labor Party said "Australian state and territory governments have primary responsibility for child protection, justice and detention. Overwhelmingly, age of criminal responsibility reform is a matter for state and territory governments. The Albanese Government remains committed to reform that will enable communities to establish locally tailored initiatives that address the underlying causes of incarceration, including to reduce the contact of First Nations children with the justice system. This includes the establishment of our landmark National Justice Reinvestment Program."

The Liberal National Coalition said "The Coalition strongly opposes raising the age of criminal responsibility. Commonwealth law only permits convictions for children between the ages of 10 and 14 where the child knows what they are doing is wrong, meaning that under current laws children under 14 can only be convicted where they are capable of being criminally responsible for an offence. The age of criminal responsibility at a state level is a matter for each jurisdiction".

The Australian Greens said "Locking up children doesn't solve problems-it creates them. The Greens are working to raise the age of legal responsibility and replace harmful practices with community-based support and culturally safe programs to give young people hope and a brighter future.

We will:

• Work with the states and territories to the age of legal responsibility from 10 to 14, ensuring children are no longer criminalised for minor offences.
• Support young people in their communities by funding culturally safe diversionary programs, mental health services, and community corrections to keep children out of prison and address underlying issues.

• Develop a roadmap for alternatives to youth detention by investing $50 million over four years in the Attorney General's Department."

3. What actions will you take to incorporate data privacy protections, particularly for children, in Australia's forthcoming artificial intelligence (AI) regulations so that individuals are protected from the misuse of their personal data in the development and use of AI?

The Australian Labor Party said "The Albanese Government will work to ensure that Australia is a leader in the safe and responsible adoption of AI technologies. The Government will continue to progress its response to the Privacy Act Review, which recognised that children are particularly vulnerable to online harms. This work will build community trust that privacy risks associated with the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, including in the adoption of AI, are being managed appropriately.

The Government's landmark Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) implemented the first tranche of proposals of the Privacy Act Review. The Act included a requirement for the Information Commissioner to develop and register a Children's Online Privacy Code to better strengthen privacy protections for children. The Act also included measures to provide individuals with greater transparency about the use of their personal information in automated decisions which significantly affect their rights or interests. The Act laid the foundation for further important privacy reform, which will be guided by the Government's response to the Privacy Act Review.

In this response, the Government agreed in principle to:

• Require that the collection, use and disclosure of personal information be fair and reasonable in the circumstances,
• Prohibit trading in the personal information of a child,
• Prohibit targeting to a child, with the exception for targeting that is in the child's best interests, and
• Require that privacy settlings for online services should reflect the 'privacy-by-default' framework of the Privacy Act.

The Government will engage in targeted consultation on the remaining privacy proposals to inform a further tranche of privacy reform."

The Australian Greens said "AI has enormous potential benefits, but it also has the potential to harm society, the economy, and our personal lives. The Greens are working to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all and that risks are managed, including through ensuring robust AI regulation. Our plan includes:

• A new Independent AI Regulator and a Digital Rights Commissioner to oversee AI regulation and protect digital rights,
• Equip regulators such as the eSafety Commissioner with the resources and expertise needed to take down AI generated content which violates the rights of Australians, particularly children,
• New laws for Facial Recognition and surveillance technologies to protect Australians against the harmful uses of biometric technologies and ensure the protection of Australians' privacy, and
• Require sensitive personal data to be stored within Australia to safeguard against foreign exploitation."

The Liberal National Coalition did not answer this question.

First Nations Peoples' Rights

4. Currently, First Nations children in Australia are more than 10 times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be living in out-of-home care (when child protection authorities remove them from their parents and place them in another care setting). What is your plan to end the overrepresentation of First Nations children being removed from their parents by child protection authorities?

The Australian Labor Party said "The over-representation of First Nations children and young people in out-of-home care is not acceptable. The reasons for the over-representation are multi-faceted and complex, and include past government policies, discrimination, entrenched disadvantage and intergenerational trauma. Statutory child protection remains a state and territory government responsibility, but the Commonwealth Government has a key role to play in preventing families from coming into contact with child protection. We have established Australia's first ever National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, to protect and promote the rights, interests and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people across a range of issues including the over representation of Indigenous children in out of home care. The Commonwealth Government continues to work closely with First Nations leaders, the non-government sector and state and territory governments to reduce the over representation of First Nations children in out of home care through Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2021-2031, which includes Commonwealth investment of more than $98 million."

The Liberal National Coalition said: "An elected Dutton Coalition Government will focus on practical action for Indigenous Australians, solutions to improve health outcomes for Indigenous women and children, boost law and order and provide more housing in Indigenous communities. We want to target and address the significant disadvantage and neglect within regional and remote Indigenous communities. We will reintroduce the Cashless Debit Card for working- aged welfare recipients in consultation with communities, to make sure children are getting the support from their parents that they deserve. We will increase opportunities for indigenous children in remote communities to access a quality education, with commonwealth support for boarding school facilities. These facilities play a vital role in building aspiration, as well as keeping teenagers off the streets and out of jail."

The Australian Greens said "Child protection and removals is one of the ten issues marked as requiring urgent attention in the Australian Greens' First Nations policy. Article 8.1 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) states that Indigenous people must not be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of culture, and Outcome 12 in the Closing the Gap Agreement seeks to reduce the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031, from a 2019 baseline of 54.2 per 1,000 First Nations children. To achieve this target, governments must address the lack of cultural competency within mainstream services, the effects of intergenerational trauma, the mistrust of statutory child protection authorities created through decades of destructive policy, and the inadequacy of funding for services that can prevent child removal. Shared decision-making with communities and building the First Nations-led community-controlled sector will be essential. The Greens will provide $113 million in grants for schools to run diversionary programs specifically to get First Nations kids out on country, with Elders, to learn about and connect to culture, language and country as an option to provide holistic healing and growth instead of locking up kids in detention. These programs are to be community led, self-determined, trauma informed and spread across the country in line with the data on First Nations children in institutionalised care."

5. First Nations people are grossly overrepresented in Australia's criminal justice system. Closing The Gap data has shown that the rate of First Nations people in prison has increased by 20 percent since 2019. In 2024, 2,300 First Nations people per 100,000 were incarcerated, compared with a non-Indigenous incarceration rate of 147 per 100,000. What is your plan to end the overrepresentation of First Nations people in Australia's prisons?

The Australian Labor Party said "First Nations youth incarceration rates across the country are unacceptable. State and territory governments are responsible for the administration of juvenile justice systems. However, the Commonwealth government continues to show leadership on this important issue. The Albanese Government is working with states and territories to reduce the overrepresentation of First Nations children in detention. This includes:

• Delivering a landmark National Justice Reinvestment Program,
• Investing $838 million in Aboriginal Legal Services through the new National Access to Justice Partnership,
• Working with states and territories through the Standing Council of Attorneys-General on the justice targets under Closing the Gap, and
• Providing $13.5 million for the U25-GO grant program and $28.3 million for the Youth Empowerment Program to deliver crime prevention, drug diversion, and jobs and skills programs for all youth under the age of 25 at risk of engaging with the criminal justice system."

The Liberal National Coalition said: "We will continue to invest in measures to improve justice and community safety for Indigenous Australians. The former Coalition Government invested $274.5 million from 2021-22 in a number of initiatives including:

• Intensive case management services to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in youth detention or prison to transition successfully back into their communities and avoid reoffending,
• Community Night Patrols, which employ Indigenous people to patrol their local communities and offer culturally sensitive assistance and transportation to a safe place for those at risk of harm, and
• Custody Notification Services, which ensure that every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who is taken into police custody receives a culturally appropriate health and wellbeing check and basic legal information."

The Australian Greens said "The criminal justice system in Australia is a system of entrenched racism where First Nations people are more likely to be stopped by police, more likely to be searched, more likely to be charged and more likely to face serious penalties than their non First Nations counterparts. This has contributed to an epidemic of overrepresentation of First Nations people in prisons in every jurisdiction in Australia. To address this injustice, the Greens will provide $100 million over the forward estimates to implement all the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, in partnership with First Nations people, particularly the families left behind after a death in custody. We will also implement the recommendations from the Australian Law Reform Commission's Pathway to Justice report on how to end the over-imprisonment of First Nations people, including by establishing a justice reinvestment coordinating body. We will work with affected communities to ensure the recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Detention and Protection of Children in the Northern Territory are also implemented."

Economic Rights

6. Research from the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) has found that current social security payments are inadequate to cover the costs of food, housing, and transport in Australia. What is your position on the rate of social security payments? Are they adequate to ensure they meet Australia's international human rights commitments?

The Australia Labor Party said "The Albanese Labor Government is committed to a strong and sustainable social safety net that provides support to those most in need, when they need it. Labor has made significant investments to strengthen the safety net, providing an additional $11.5 billion for social security payments. This includes delivering a $40 per fortnight increase to working age and student payments, including JobSeeker. In recognition that some people can face additional barriers to finding employment and need more support, we also expanded eligibility for the higher rate of Jobseeker to Australians aged 55 and over who are on payment for nine months or more, and to those with an assessed partial capacity to work of 0‑14 hours per week.

Since Labor was elected, the base rate of JobSeeker for single recipients with no dependent children has increased by 22 per cent, which is an extra $3,600 in additional support in people's pockets each year.

Everyone who receives JobSeeker is eligible for at least one additional supplementary payment which could include the Energy Supplement, Family Tax Benefit and/or Commonwealth Rent Assistance. We've delivered the first back-to-back increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance in over 30 years, to help people on income support, pensioners and low-income families to manage rental pressures. Combined with indexation, this means maximum rates of rent assistance have increased by 45 per cent since Labor was elected.

In addition, for single parents who face the difficult challenge of balancing work and care on their own, the Government has expanded eligibility for Parenting Payment Single until their youngest child turns 14, up from eight.

These measures have been complemented by the comprehensive cost of living relief delivered by Labor to ease pressure on households. This includes a tax cut for every taxpayer, two rounds of relief to help households with their energy bills, cheaper medicines on the PBS, freezing social security deeming rates and record investments to strengthen Medicare to make it cheaper to see a GP and establish more Urgent Care clinics.

Labor will always do what we can to provide support to people who need it. We've said we'll look at payment rates as part of every Budget, and we'll continue to do that."

The Liberal National Coalition said "The Coalition believes that it is the government's role to manage the budget in a prudent and responsible way, to alleviate household cost pressures and restore our standard of living so Australians can get ahead in life. We believe that a strong economy is the key to helping Australians fulfil their aspirations and ensure they can cover the basics in the household budget.

That is why the Coalition's key focus is creating jobs and getting people back into work, because we know that getting a job is the best way to improve the living standards of people and their families.

During the height of the pandemic, when Australians needed it most, the Coalition provided $32 billion in emergency support payments and delivered the largest increase to unemployment benefits for over 30 years. During that period, JobSeeker payment expenditure almost tripled, rising from $9.7 billion in 2018-19 to $27.4 billion in 2020-21.

There are few countries that provide the strong safety net available to Australians. JobSeeker payments are a non-contributory taxpayer funded payment that provides a safety net for people while they look for a job. It is not meant to be a salary or wage replacement. Every dollar spent is a dollar that someone earned, so it is incumbent upon us that spending on our social security safety net is sustainable into the future. Social security payment rates, including JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment and related working-aged welfare payments, are indexed on a regular basis, which helps to maintain their value over time. Increases to these payment rates are automatically linked to specific price changes, such as the Consumer Price Index and wages.

In addition to base rates of payment, there are more than 20 supplementary payments available to income support recipients, depending on their circumstances and additional needs.

On top of direct payments, our social security system also includes employment services, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme concessions and health care cards. All of this is funded by taxpayers and therefore needs to be managed responsibly. This responsibility extends to future generations who will have to meet the cost of the social security system in the decades to come.

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will ensure the welfare system is fit for purpose and provides a safety net for those Australians most in need."

The Australian Greens said "It is clear the rate of social security payments in this country are woefully inadequate and do not meet Australia's human rights commitments. The increase in income support payments during COVID temporarily lifted hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty, and kept many more from falling into poverty. In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics. The Greens have long called for and support income support payments to be lifted above the poverty line."

7. The Australian Homelessness Monitor has reported a 22 percent increase of the number of people rough sleeping in the three years to 2023-2024. What is your plan to ensure all Australians' right to housing is protected and there is adequate availability of public housing?

The Australian Labor Party said "Labor is committed to ensuring all Australians have secure and affordable housing.

We're delivering 55,000 social and affordable homes, with 28,000 in the construction and planning stages. Through initiatives such as the Housing Australia Future Fund, Labor is helping reduce homelessness and taking pressure off renters.

We're investing $1.2 billion - nearly 20 times the Coalition over their entire decade in government to support women, children and young people fleeing domestic violence as well as older women at risk of homelessness. These investments are about ensuring that every Australian has the dignity and security of a safe place to call home.

Our Government is providing $9.3 billion over the next five years under the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness (NASHH) with $400 million each year for homelessness services, which the States are required to match.

While many of these homes are being built, we are also providing real relief to renters doing it tough right now, with a 45% increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance for around 1 million households.

There's more work to do, but the foundations are in place and are making a huge difference for Australians that are doing it most tough."

The Liberal National Coalition said "A Dutton Coalition Government will act immediately to fix the housing crisis by boosting the supply of new homes across Australia.

We will deliver $5 billion to fund essential infrastructure like water, power and sewerage at housing development sites to unlock up to 500,000 new homes, with 30 per cent invested in regional communities.

We will reduce migration to sensible levels that our housing supply can handle, as well as implement a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing Australian homes.

The Coalition recognises the challenge of housing for the vulnerable. That's why we established the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator to provide low-cost finance to registered community housing providers to deliver more social and affordable dwellings. A great achievement of the last Coalition Government was the Home Guarantee Scheme, which has helped over 200,000 Australians purchase their first home.

We expanded this Scheme to single parent families in recognition of the challenges they face, as saving for a deposit is even harder when you are on a single income with children. We also recognise that older women are increasingly at risk of homelessness and housing stress due to lower lifetime incomes, relationship breakdown, and the consequences of family and domestic violence. That's why the Coalition has announced it will extend its new Super Home Buyer Scheme, allowing separated women to access part of their superannuation to put towards a deposit on their own home to help rebuild their lives."

The Australian Greens said "Australia is experiencing a rental and cost of living crisis. Decades of profit-driven policies have left too many people with skyrocketing rents, substandard housing, and long-term homelessness. The Greens are fighting for transformative solutions that put people first-building and renting homes at prices people can actually afford and making housing a right, not a privilege.

Our plan includes:

• A new public property developer to rent and sell homes below market prices, delivering 610,000 new affordable homes in the next decade,
• Adopting the Housing First model in Australia with $5.2 billion over the first four years for 50,000 ongoing Housing First supportive tenancies nationwide and 40 new supportive accommodation buildings,
• Double federal funding to states and territories for homelessness services and public and community housing,
• Make unlimited rent increases illegal, by freezing rents for two years then capping rent increases long term at 2% every 2 years, saving renters thousands each year, and
• Scrap negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount for investors who own more than one property."

Refugees and Asylum-seekers' Rights

8. In January 2025, the UN Human Rights Committee found that Australia is responsible for arbitrary detention of asylum seekers in offshore facilities. What is your position on the offshore processing of asylum seekers?

The Australian Labor Party said "The Albanese Labor Government remains completely committed to Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB), of which offshore regional processing is an essential part. There has not been a successful people smuggling venture to Australia in more than a decade. This is due to the policies that underpin OSB and the work of our agencies to enforce them.

The message that you will never settle in Australia if you attempt to travel irregularly by boat is one of the best tools we have available to prevent people being exploited by people smugglers, and making an expensive, dangerous and futile journey towards Australia.

The Albanese Labor Government is committed to upholding Australia's obligations under the Refugee Convention 1951 and other international human rights treaties to which Australia is a party.

Regional processing countries are responsible for determining how they manage people while their claims are being assessed, including whether they should be in detention."

The Australian Greens said "Offshore detention is an enormously cruel policy designed to deter and punish people who are seeking a better life in Australia. Nauru and Manus Island have long been places of misery and death, which is a stain on Australia's national conscience. Prolonged detention - both on and offshore - has a profound effect on a person's mental health that can lead to self-harm and suicide. Australia should never have started this practice. The Greens will end offshore detention, bringing all persons still in Papua New Guinea or Nauru to Australia and into supported and supervised community accommodation, with the option of permanent settlement."

The Liberal National Coalition did not respond to this question.

9. The government has currently set its resettlement places under the Refugee and Humanitarian Program to 20,000 individuals for 2024-2025. Would you increase or decrease this number and to what level?

The Australian Labor Party said "Australia has a long and proud history of providing resettlement for refugees and others who are displaced as a result of conflict, persecution and human rights abuses. With more people displaced worldwide than ever before, we are stepping up to play our part in the global resettlement effort in a responsible way.

The Albanese Labor Government increased the number of places in Australia's humanitarian program from 13,750 to 20,000 places in 2023-24, and maintained this number of places for the 2024-25 program. In contrast, Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party have committed to cutting the humanitarian program back to 13,750 places if they are elected.

Additionally, more than 20,000 Resolution of Status visas have been issued to former Temporary Protection visa/Safe Haven Enterprise visa holders since the pathway opened in February 2023. People on TPVs/SHEVs arrived before Operation Sovereign Borders, and had been living in limbo in Australia for more than a decade.

These actions demonstrate that by maintaining secure borders, we can deliver a generous, orderly and compassionate humanitarian program while preventing people smuggling and loss of life at sea and without compromising Operation Sovereign Borders."

The Liberal National Coalition said "Australia is the greatest multicultural nation in the world, something all Australians should be proud of. Since World War II, Australia has resettled more than 950,000 refugees and others with a humanitarian need. A Dutton Coalition Government will reduce the Refugee and Humanitarian intake to its long-term average of 13,750 per year, ensuring Australia remains one of the most generous humanitarian resettlement countries in the world and can respond flexibly to humanitarian crises overseas. We will continue to provide essential support to refugee and humanitarian entrants settling in Australia, in partnership with community organisations, trained volunteers and faith- based groups."

The Australian Greens said "The Greens will increase Australia's humanitarian intake from 20,000 to 50,000 per year."

10. Australia is one of the world's biggest exporters of coal and gas. Given the climate crisis, what is your position on phasing out fossil fuels and if you support phasing out fossil fuels, what would your plan be to achieve this?

The Australian Labor Party said "At COP28, Labor was proud to advocate for and secure an agreement committing to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, to tripling global renewable energy capacity, and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

At COP29, Labor joined 25 countries and the EU in committing to not building new coal power plants. The pledge stands in stark contrast to the Liberal party, who funded a noncompetitive $3.3 million feasibility study into a new coal power plant at Collinsville, which was slammed by the ANAO.

We have expanded the Capacity Investment Scheme to unlock new investment and deliver 32 GW of reliable, affordable renewable electricity to all Australians by 2030. We are backing offshore wind, rooftop solar, batteries and other technologies that the Coalition would stop under their nuclear scheme."

The Liberal National Coalition said "Our approach is to reduce emissions through technology, not taxes, and in ways that don't risk regional jobs.

As a general principle, the Coalition acknowledges Australia's resources sector has been integral to our economy. It accounts for around 12 per cent of Australia's GDP and more than 60 per cent of Australia's exports. It directly employs more than 280,000 people and indirectly supports the jobs of some 1.1 million Australians, as well as many communities and businesses across regional Australia.

Resource industry export earnings were $417 billion in 2023-24, helping to support the living standards of all Australians. Taxes and royalties from the industry are providing vital revenues to fund roads, hospitals, schools and other essential services we all rely on."

The Australian Greens said "The phase out of fossil fuels is the number one task to stop our planet cooking and Australia has an oversized responsibility to contribute because of how much pollution we export to the world. The Greens' climate targets are for a 75% reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 and for net-zero emissions by 2035, which is what maintaining warming to 1.5 degrees requires.

We have a comprehensive plan to phase out fossil fuels, including:

• No new coal, oil and gas project approvals,
• End subsidies to coal, oil and gas corporations including fossil fuel subsidies in the Budget,
• Make gas exporters pay taxes and royalties,
• Planned coal station closure framework,
• Transition plans for coal and gas workers, and

• Investment in clean energy industries of the future to replace fossil fuels."

Justice and Accountability

11. Do you support Australia being a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC)? Should Australia enforce ICC arrest warrants for active heads of state?

The Australian Labor Party said "Australia has been a longstanding supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Under the Albanese Labor Government, that position has not changed. We continue to reiterate our respect for the Court, its independence and its important role in upholding international law. Australia will act consistently with its international obligations. The Albanese Labor Government's approach will be informed by international law, not politics. We are not contemplating and would not contemplate withdrawing from the ICC."

The Liberal National Coalition said "Australia signed the Rome Statue establishing the International Criminal Court in 1998 under the Howard Coalition Government to enhance international peace and security. The Coalition is committed to universal human rights, including the rule of law, individual freedom and the right to dignity and respect."

The Australian Greens said "The Greens support Australia remaining a member of the International Criminal Court. As signatories to the Rome Statute, Australia has an obligation to enforce all ICC arrest warrants including those for active heads of state and the Greens believe that Australia should uphold that obligation."

12. In 2024, the Australian government used its thematic human rights or corruption sanctions on entities or individuals in Iran, Russia, and Israel. Other sanctions were also placed individuals and entities in Myanmar and affiliates of Hamas in Palestine. Should Australia impose targeted sanctions against Chinese officials or companies for severe human rights abuses, including crimes against humanity against Uyghurs?

The Australian Labor Party said "The Albanese Labor Government's support for human rights and values is central to who we are and how we seek to shape the world. We deploy every strategy at our disposal towards upholding human rights - ranging from dialogue and diplomacy to sanctions - consistent with our values and our interests. Sanctions are an essential foreign policy tool. But they are not the only way - nor necessarily the most effective way - to push for change.

The Albanese Labor Government takes every opportunity to convey our concerns to China about human rights situations, including in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Our resumption of dialogue with China has enabled us to consistently raise our deep concerns at the highest levels, as Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong have done.

We also raise our concerns publicly, and partner with other countries to advocate and build coalitions for the protection of human rights. In October 2024, Australia led, for the first time, a joint statement at the Human Rights Council with 14 partners, drawing on the credible and objective findings of independent United Nations experts about the human rights situation in China. Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts also raised China's human rights violations against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang in Australia's high-level statement to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council on 27 February.

Unlike predecessors, the Foreign Minister has regularly engaged with Hong Kong, Uyghur and Tibetan communities in Australia, as well as the advocates from civil society organisations and across the parliament. We are committed to having their voices heard in bilateral and multilateral forums."

The Liberal National Coalition said "We have consistently voiced our concerns about human rights violations, including in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Under the former Coalition Government, Australia was one of 45 countries to join a statement on human rights in China at the UN Human Rights Council. Australian officials regularly raised our concerns about the treatment of Tibetans with Chinese officials in Canberra and Beijing, particularly the detention of Tibetans for the peaceful expression of political views, restrictions on travel and China's policies on Tibetan cultural rights and heritage.

The Coalition has repeatedly called on the Labor Government to use the Magnitsky-style sanctions at their disposal to respond to human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region.

We strongly supported the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' calls for the prompt release of all individuals arbitrarily deprived of their liberty and an urgent independent investigation into allegations of human rights abuse.

We are disappointed that the Labor government has not taken up our offer of bipartisanship."

The Australian Greens said "The Greens have consistently called for application of targeted sanctions on Chinese officials or companies responsible for severe human rights abuses, including those committed against Uyghurs or Tibetans."

13. A few dozen Australian nationals, including women and children, remain detained in camps and prisons in Northeast Syria as Islamic State (ISIS) suspects or their family members. What response do you intend to take to address this situation and what is your position on creating a pathway for their return and rehabilitation or as appropriate criminal investigations?

The Australian Labor Party said "Decisions relating to repatriations of Australia-linked women and children located in internally displace persons (IDP) camps in northeast Syria are made on the basis of a range of security, diplomatic, community and welfare factors. The government's overriding priority is the protection of Australians and Australia's national interest, informed by national security advice.

The government acknowledges the humanitarian and welfare issues affecting those in IDP camps. We are partnering with international humanitarian organisations who have access to the camps and the mandate and expertise to deliver assistance. Australia has provided more than half a billion dollars to the Syrian regional response since 2011, including a further $30 million to address urgent humanitarian needs announced in March this year."

The Australian Greens said "The Greens are supportive of creating a pathway for the return of Australian nationals currently imprisoned in prison camps in North East Syria, as well as rehabilitation of these individuals following a human-rights compliant process to ensure they are innocent of any criminal activity. We are proud to have campaigned alongside HRW and many other organisations on this issue - particularly in relation to children."

The Liberal National Coalition did not respond to this question.

14. Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, governments from Vietnam to India have suppressed human rights defenders, journalists, and bloggers. What steps should Australia take to promote the rights to freedom of expression, media freedom, and freedom of association throughout the region?