This opinion piece by Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay was published in The Mandarin.
Five years ago this month, I boarded a flight from Jakarta to Australia with my two young children. Travelling solo with kids is stressful at the best of times, but with the COVID-19 pandemic taking hold around us, the stakes were higher than usual.
My husband remained in Indonesia for work, and 14 days of quarantine awaited us after touchdown.
Like all other Australians, our next few years were a rollercoaster. We navigated family separation, lockdowns, and home schooling, and border closures meant I couldn't be there when my nan and grandad died. I had to watch both their funerals online.
This was challenging, but I know it pales in comparison to what others endured.
Many people have since told me that they never considered 'human rights' as something that applied to them until the pandemic hit. But as they grappled with their loss of freedoms, the idea of human rights really hit home.
Such experiences are at the heart of a major new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission, which was released this week. It is the first report of its kind centred on the stories of everyday Australians, and it highlights the critical lessons we must act upon before the next emergency.
My colleagues and I spoke to thousands of people from all walks of life. And while some of their stories were already well publicised, the true scale and depth of the suffering shocked me.
Many told us they felt like they were collateral damage, overlooked in the country's push to stamp out COVID-19.
There were those locked out of their own country for extended periods and forced into hotel quarantine when they finally returned. And families, like the 3,000 people in the Melbourne Towers in 2021, who were locked inside their homes with very little - if any - warning.
The increased numbers of women in domestic violence situations, trapped with their abusers and with limited escape options or access to support networks.
People with disability, who faced further barriers in accessing healthcare, food, and other vital support.
Children facing serious mental health challenges and struggling to return to normal life following school closures.
Remote First Nations communities who were denied culturally appropriate information or care, which deepened isolation and mistrust.
These measures were justified by our leaders as a necessary response to an unfolding public health emergency. But at what cost?
Many people we spoke to recognised Australia's response saved lives and helped keep people safe. Yet, our report found public health could have remained a priority while having flexible and compassionate measures in place.
Even where measures were necessary to safeguard public health, it is important to see the human cost, particularly given that it was often borne disproportionately by our most at-risk and disadvantaged.
Our research recommends governments embed human rights in their decision-making from the outset of any emergency and never respond with a one-size-fits-all approach. A young child with a disability has different needs to a woman facing domestic violence, or to someone in aged care who has not seen a loved one in months.
We must acknowledge that governments tried to address the impacts of pandemic restrictions through various funding plans and policies. But scrambling in real time to respond to some, but not all, people's needs, is always inferior to having a plan in place from the beginning that considers everyone's rights.
We view an emergency response framework to guide governments as the best solution. Responses must be made following ongoing consultation with community groups and adjusted as its true impact is felt. Measures must be proportionate, balancing public safety with compassion. Communication needs to be tailored to address people's diverse backgrounds and needs. And plans need to be built for beyond the crisis, so critical support isn't abruptly taken away.
As we develop this framework, the commission will next look at how Australians have been impacted by public policies during natural disasters. This includes analysing the fallout from now ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which brought destructive winds, flooding, heavy rainfall, and left more than 300,000 homes and businesses without power in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Its impacts, as well as those of previous natural disasters, will inform the next stage of our project, as we look to ensure all future emergency responses have human rights at their core.
This is not about placing blame on governments. I know this isn't easy. But if we are truly committed to the rights of all Australians, this is necessary work.
We must rebuild trust, strike a balance between individual and community freedoms and public health, and place human rights at the heart of emergency planning.
