Australia’s push for a federal Human Rights Act is stalled by political caution and media hostility. The path forward may depend on Coalition support – and reframing the reform as consistent with Liberal tradition.

Forget pursuing Attorney-General Michelle Rowland or Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about achieving a Human Rights Act for Australia.

The two minds we need to change – according to Labor itself - are those of Sussan Ley (and whoever will replace her in the weeks ahead) and Rupert Murdoch (and at some point, of course, his heir, Lachlan).

The Saturday Paper recently recalled a 2009 meeting between Simon Rice, now professor emeritus at the University of Sydney Law School, and then attorney-general Robert McClelland. As the paper recorded the meet, “With a national inquiry having recommended the introduction of a federal Human Rights Act, Rice asked McClelland when the [Rudd] Government might respond.

“McClelland’s answer was blunt: ‘There won’t be a Human Rights Act for as long as News Ltd is opposed to it’.”

And as the Civil Liberties Australia December 2025 newsletter reminded us, “Albo’s 2028 election game-winning strategy is: ‘Any proposal must have bipartisan support or we won’t put it to the Parliament’.”

But CLA hears whispers that a group including Independents such as David Pocock, “a batch of Teals” and the Greens would look to move by mid-2026 if Labor’s inertia is still ruling at that time.

That might be fine and good in the Senate, but any Bill would have to be steered through the House of........

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